40 Days of Spiritual RebootSample

Today we begin a new theme. Let's dwell on a life of worship this week. We want to explore how worship sets us apart from other faiths yet shows how everyone is basically made the same i.e. to worship. We will uncover barriers to personal and corporate worship. My primary goal, this being a period of personal spiritual renewal, would be to renew our passion for, discipline in and hunger for worship.

Let's begin by defining worship. Since there are many definitions, I want to at least work with two. 1. Worship is the aroma of our sacrifice that reaches heaven. 2. Worship is the celebration of the presence of God. (God is here. He is with us. Alive. Available. Present to speak, to heal. to renew)

Heres what it is not. Expression itself isn’t worship. Style isn’t worship. Singing on its own isn’t worship. Energy and Exuberance isn’t worship. And similar assumptions by onlookers.

Coming back to you and me. How’s our personal worship doing? Do we enjoy being in the presence of God alone with him as a discipline? Has it been a while since we found ourselves expressing our love to him in prayer, in song or in giving? No matter how long we’ve been walking with God, love does tend to grow cold. Passion is snuffed out by the busyness and preoccupations of this life. We are drawn away subtly by the idols we worship. There is no better time for renewal than right now.

Say a prayer before you begin. Here is a sample if you can’t think of your own. “Dear Heavenly Father, my heart has grown cold. I don’t have that warmth and joy like I used to. I want a renewal of hunger for your presence. I want a fresh appetite for you. Spiritual matters and being in your presence, expressing my joy in you and drawing peace from you… all these don’t excite me as much today as they used to. I ask you to forgive me for allowing myself to become cold. You deserve better. I expect people to express their love for me without reminders. Yet I myself do not do that with you. Lord, I need a fresh start in my life of worship. I commit to habits that will get me back to being a God-pleasing worshipper. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.“

Today we are just getting started with thinking about worship and putting a thermometer to our own hearts to gauge the temperature of our passion for worship. Let's begin today by identifying some of the idols in your life. What are the things, the people and the problems that have your affection right now. Where is your heart engaged? What are the things or people in your life that you would drop anything for, compromise for, sin for or live for? Are there any idols in your life that have taken Gods place. We can talk about renewal and worship. But until we aren’t ready to tear down those high places, no sacrifice on the right altar will be acceptable. Let me put it this way. If we have grown cold, something drew us away from the fire. While that thing has got a grip on us… you can try all you may… you can’t even crawl your way back to a heart of worship. So do take this to heart and ensure that nothing is holding you back. We don’t want anything undoing your effort.

OPEN YOUR BIBLE

Exodus 20:2 - 6 - “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 3 “You shall have no other gods before me. 4 “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.

Deuteronomy 29:18 - Make sure there is no man or woman, clan or tribe among you today whose heart turns away from the LORD our God to go and worship the gods of those nations; make sure there is no root among you that produces such bitter poison.

1 Samuel 15:22 - But Samuel replied: “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.”

COME CLEAN

Today as we begin thinking about ‘our worship’, the first thing we have done is to check our hearts for competing idols. We have reminded ourselves of how serious God is about worship. And how it is one of those things that are not open to discussion or debate for mere humans.

“Give us perspective Oh God on where we stand before you. Put your hand to our heart and show us the truth about ourselves. You deserve the glory and the praise of our lives. And we do want to give it. You call us into your presence. And we do want to come. You turn our sorrow into rejoicing. And you give us a taste of heaven on earth. Lord, create in me a clean heart, renew a right spirit within me.’