Spiritual Disciplines & Evangelism Sýnishorn

  

DAY 3: WORSHIP

C.S. Lewis once said, “The most valuable thing the Psalms do for me is to express the same delight in 

God which made David dance." When you hear the term ‘worship’, what comes to mind? Perhaps it is a holy solemnity or arms raised high in devoted song. Regardless of style or tradition, at the heart of worship is adoration and celebration. Eyes lifted high, we acknowledge the One Creator and Being, who we call “Abba, Father” (Rom. 8:15), to be worthy of all of our praise and efforts. Each breath we live, we live for Him. 

There is perhaps no better picture of this than 2 Samuel 6:5, where we get a picture of David and his men moving the Ark of the Lord to Jerusalem: “David and all Israel were celebrating with all their might before the Lord, with castanets, harps, lyres, timbrels, sistrums and cymbals.” They were praising God with their bodies and minds, hearts and strength.

We begin the discipline of worship with an acknowledgment of who God is. Hearts bowed down, we affirm the totality of God: the omniscient and omnipresent One who yet hides Himself in the shadows of our hearts. As we adore Him for His goodness and grace outpoured to us, we declare our utter poverty and brokenness. First Chronicles 16:23-31 provides helpful textual guides for what worship and adoration towards God entails. 

In worship, we also find that our hearts fall more in love with our Savior as we see Him more clearly. And as our love grows deeper, so too does our willingness to be all that He desires us to be. Romans 12:1 reads, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship..” So our next stop in worship is the acknowledgement that true worship does not end when the last song has been sung, or the last prayer has been uttered. True worship continues its momentum throughout each moment of life. Likely, we have heard or read much about our bodies as “living sacrifices.” We get the picture of one squirming endlessly until either (1) it has escaped the table or (2) it has lost the battle in surrender. 

The reality is, our lives are not our own. They’ve been purchased with a price. From the tip of our toes to the top of our head, we are the Lord’s. Redeemed, made new. The caterpillar-butterfly analogy goes far here. We were once, and are now the same…but better. 

As we surrender to the fact that we are living sacrifices who are under the mighty and loving hand of a God who cares about our good and the good of the world, our worship leads us to tell others about Him. 

In the darkest and most dire of situations, we cannot help but tell others about this God we adore. Paul and Silas experienced this: 

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!” The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. (Acts 16:25-32)

True worship must express itself to others. Peter and John say it this way: “As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard" (Acts 4:20). We have felt the goodness of God and are moved to share His kindness and grace with others. The fruit of fulfilled worship is a life of proclamation. 

Questions for Reflection: 

• In what ways do you best worship God?
• Have you ever experience God in a powerful or new way during worship? If so, how?
• What has the role of worship been in relationship to your personal evangelism?
• How is God calling you to use your praise of Him to extend to those around you?