Sunday, July 01, 2007
TRUE WORSHIPERS :
Text: JOHN 4:21-24
The Lord Jesus was passing through Samaria and came to a town called Sychar near the plot ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. And If you remember the story in Genesis 33 and 34, It is in this place that Jacob reside until his daughter Dinah was violated by Hamor's son, the ruler of that area. The story in that place ended up tragically when Simeon and Levi two of Jacob's sons attacked the city, killing every male. So Jacob had to flee to save his household. But glory be to God, the messiah who was willing to shed his blood that speaks more than the blood of Abel choose to reveal to a Samaritan woman one of the most profound thoughts of the Spirit:
"God is seeking true worshipers".
"God is seeking true worshipers".
You also remember the Ezekiel 22:30 says this :
"I look for a man among them who will build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the Land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found not ".
When God comes to a point in His word and uses the verb to seek, it means that there is something missing or wrong. Basing on this truth some questions can be asked:
1- Since we have our worship service every Sunday, what kind of worship does God desires?
2- Does it mean there is a false worship?
3- How can someone know if he is a true worshiper?
4- What does it mean worship in Spirit?
5- What are the results of a true worship?
Let us first see the definition worship:
Worship derives from the old English "worthship" and constitutes those actions that revere and honor the worthiness of the great God of heaven.
It means basically that, worshiping is to use for example our lips by singing or speaking, or to play an instrument to honor God.
Let us see what worship is not:
-1-Worship is not about singing!
Why do we sing? We sing to get rid of the things of life (Example: our job, family etc..) in order to prepare our spirit to concentrate on God.
You might say:" Gaétan is a true worshiper since he is the worship Leader or the worship Team knows better how to worship. Or you may know someone who sings well and you think that person is a true worshiper. That's not true! What we do is a performance! It's evident that some people are gifted in singing, but I am afraid to say to that worshiping God is not about talents!
-2-Worship is not a time for prayer request.
It's not a moment to complain about our situation.
Since we have seen what worship is not, let us now see what worship is:
1- Worship is having a clear view in our mind of who God is.
A clear view of His Majesty and His Holiness .
Hebrews 11:6
"And without faith, it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him".
James2:19
"You believe there one God. Good! Even the demons believe that and shudder (frémir)"
They know who God is.
I speak the Word of God to you standing in the presence of the Glorious One. When you call on Him, know that He exists!
-2-Worship is a life style!
That's why we don't need to wait until we come to church to worship. It's a dally life.
-3- Worship is how we react to every situation of our life and specially the bad ones.
A practical example of Romans 8:28
"And we know that all thing works for the good of those who love Him, who have being called according to His purpose."
If I have lost money, while walking in the street and there is no way to recover it, how should I react since all things work for the good of those who love God?
If you don't believe this, then you make God a liar.
Example of Rev Ray Comfort (take a member of CIPC)
Ask him his name? tell him that you don't believe it's his name.
Ask him where he lives. Tell him also that you don't believe.
That's how God feels when we don't believe Him.
The Cherubim are heavenly beings created for worship. They are day and night in the presence of the father saying "holy, Holy, Holy".
Meanwhile we are here on earth, confronting situations of all kinds. Good and bad. But when we turn a bad situation into worship to our God, He is satisfy and says to Himself "the sacrifice of my son was not in vain, because I have now many sons in His likeness!"
God, the angels and the demons know who we are. They know our human nature opposes God. But despite of our human nature, God chose us to rule with the Lord Jesus Christ.
True worshipers go beyond life circumstances, ascend to the heavenlies, enter the gates, go beyond the holy place, enter the holly of Hollies, and bow before the one sitting upon the throne, contemplate the beauty of His presence and say: "You are awesome in this place mighty God, You are awesome in this place Aba father, You are worthy of all praise, to You our lives we raise, You are awesome in this place, mighty God"
True worshipers have the assurance of their salvation every hour of the day, because they hear the voice of the shepherd.
They accept the correction of the Lord when they have gone astray.
They don't say,"O today the preaching was hard". They don't complain.
Example of false worshipers listing to what The Lord said to the Jews and let us see the reaction of many of his disciples
John 6: 53; 60
True worshipers smell good!
When You worship, God doesn't hear your songs only, but He smell something good that He delight, for God is the author and the finisher of our faith.
People like the presence of true worshipers because they have something in them that attract and draw people to God. That attracting thing is the anointing of the father release during worship time.
Worshiping in spirit
Worshiping in spirit is when we have come to a level during our fellowship with God that the spirit empower us and make us glorify God in a powerful way. When people worship in spirit, they speak in tongues or God increase their faith and they proclaim boldly the word of God.
But this is very important: when someone speaks in tongues, it doesn't mean automatically that he is worshiping in spirit. But since God gave that gift to the church, we should seek to have it and use it to edify the body of Christ.
During these times the spirit can enable us to prophesy and we can speak to satan by commanding him to let the captives go.
Worshiping in truth
Worshiping in truth is standing before the Lord, blameless covered by the blood of the Lamb, not because of our own righteousness, but because of the grace of God.
It is very important to sincerely repent of our sins before entering into presence of God.
Let us be the worshipers that the father seeks. Let us be found by Him.
Amen, come O Lord!
Gaétan LENSI
Worship Leader at CIPC
Text: JOHN 4:21-24
The Lord Jesus was passing through Samaria and came to a town called Sychar near the plot ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. And If you remember the story in Genesis 33 and 34, It is in this place that Jacob reside until his daughter Dinah was violated by Hamor's son, the ruler of that area. The story in that place ended up tragically when Simeon and Levi two of Jacob's sons attacked the city, killing every male. So Jacob had to flee to save his household. But glory be to God, the messiah who was willing to shed his blood that speaks more than the blood of Abel choose to reveal to a Samaritan woman one of the most profound thoughts of the Spirit:
"God is seeking true worshipers".
"God is seeking true worshipers".
You also remember the Ezekiel 22:30 says this :
"I look for a man among them who will build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the Land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found not ".
When God comes to a point in His word and uses the verb to seek, it means that there is something missing or wrong. Basing on this truth some questions can be asked:
1- Since we have our worship service every Sunday, what kind of worship does God desires?
2- Does it mean there is a false worship?
3- How can someone know if he is a true worshiper?
4- What does it mean worship in Spirit?
5- What are the results of a true worship?
Let us first see the definition worship:
Worship derives from the old English "worthship" and constitutes those actions that revere and honor the worthiness of the great God of heaven.
It means basically that, worshiping is to use for example our lips by singing or speaking, or to play an instrument to honor God.
Let us see what worship is not:
-1-Worship is not about singing!
Why do we sing? We sing to get rid of the things of life (Example: our job, family etc..) in order to prepare our spirit to concentrate on God.
You might say:" Gaétan is a true worshiper since he is the worship Leader or the worship Team knows better how to worship. Or you may know someone who sings well and you think that person is a true worshiper. That's not true! What we do is a performance! It's evident that some people are gifted in singing, but I am afraid to say to that worshiping God is not about talents!
-2-Worship is not a time for prayer request.
It's not a moment to complain about our situation.
Since we have seen what worship is not, let us now see what worship is:
1- Worship is having a clear view in our mind of who God is.
A clear view of His Majesty and His Holiness .
Hebrews 11:6
"And without faith, it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him".
James2:19
"You believe there one God. Good! Even the demons believe that and shudder (frémir)"
They know who God is.
I speak the Word of God to you standing in the presence of the Glorious One. When you call on Him, know that He exists!
-2-Worship is a life style!
That's why we don't need to wait until we come to church to worship. It's a dally life.
-3- Worship is how we react to every situation of our life and specially the bad ones.
A practical example of Romans 8:28
"And we know that all thing works for the good of those who love Him, who have being called according to His purpose."
If I have lost money, while walking in the street and there is no way to recover it, how should I react since all things work for the good of those who love God?
If you don't believe this, then you make God a liar.
Example of Rev Ray Comfort (take a member of CIPC)
Ask him his name? tell him that you don't believe it's his name.
Ask him where he lives. Tell him also that you don't believe.
That's how God feels when we don't believe Him.
The Cherubim are heavenly beings created for worship. They are day and night in the presence of the father saying "holy, Holy, Holy".
Meanwhile we are here on earth, confronting situations of all kinds. Good and bad. But when we turn a bad situation into worship to our God, He is satisfy and says to Himself "the sacrifice of my son was not in vain, because I have now many sons in His likeness!"
God, the angels and the demons know who we are. They know our human nature opposes God. But despite of our human nature, God chose us to rule with the Lord Jesus Christ.
True worshipers go beyond life circumstances, ascend to the heavenlies, enter the gates, go beyond the holy place, enter the holly of Hollies, and bow before the one sitting upon the throne, contemplate the beauty of His presence and say: "You are awesome in this place mighty God, You are awesome in this place Aba father, You are worthy of all praise, to You our lives we raise, You are awesome in this place, mighty God"
True worshipers have the assurance of their salvation every hour of the day, because they hear the voice of the shepherd.
They accept the correction of the Lord when they have gone astray.
They don't say,"O today the preaching was hard". They don't complain.
Example of false worshipers listing to what The Lord said to the Jews and let us see the reaction of many of his disciples
John 6: 53; 60
True worshipers smell good!
When You worship, God doesn't hear your songs only, but He smell something good that He delight, for God is the author and the finisher of our faith.
People like the presence of true worshipers because they have something in them that attract and draw people to God. That attracting thing is the anointing of the father release during worship time.
Worshiping in spirit
Worshiping in spirit is when we have come to a level during our fellowship with God that the spirit empower us and make us glorify God in a powerful way. When people worship in spirit, they speak in tongues or God increase their faith and they proclaim boldly the word of God.
But this is very important: when someone speaks in tongues, it doesn't mean automatically that he is worshiping in spirit. But since God gave that gift to the church, we should seek to have it and use it to edify the body of Christ.
During these times the spirit can enable us to prophesy and we can speak to satan by commanding him to let the captives go.
Worshiping in truth
Worshiping in truth is standing before the Lord, blameless covered by the blood of the Lamb, not because of our own righteousness, but because of the grace of God.
It is very important to sincerely repent of our sins before entering into presence of God.
Let us be the worshipers that the father seeks. Let us be found by Him.
Amen, come O Lord!
Gaétan LENSI
Worship Leader at CIPC
