WORSHIP! My thoughts have been going back and forth between what my worship is and what GOD desires my worship to be. What is it that GOD wants me to be accomplishing when I claim to be in worship of HIM? What was it like to WORSHIP when JESUS was here on earth?
Not long ago, I experienced worship like I never have before. This morning I was pondering just what was unique about the Church at Oakwood in Conway, AR. My youngest son and daughter-in-law are members at “Oakwood”. I was unsure of Oakwood's membership for awhile. But, as only HE does, GOD showed me through many things that if HIS ministry were a ministry of today, it would be geared toward PEOPLE, regardless of their status.
JESUS did not go to the synagogue to wear his fancy clothes or visit with his friends. Although HE was GOD INCARNATE, HE did not treat others as peasants and unworthy! HE always made everyone feel accepted. Had HE came as royalty HE would have been thought to be”TOO GOOD” for some of us less fortunate. Instead, JESUS gathered with his friends on a hillside, or a water-well, or by the sea side and HE would preach/teach to them. After filling their spiritual need, HE would then fill their physical needs as HE would feed them. Men, women, and children! Rich and poor, sick and healthy, esteemed and lowly, JESUS loved and ministered to all!
The Church at Oakwood reflects this very well. You cannot feel as though you are better than someone when you are sitting in folding chairs in a trailer park! You tend to not be as worried about measuring up to society when you are in a group singing with a guitar leading you. All inhibitions are removed when a lady sitting in the group has to turn and change the diaper of her child while the sermon is being delivered.
I have been a member of a church where membership was over 5000 people with attendance of 2500. I have been a member of a charter church of a church where we started with 45 or 50 people. But, until recently, I have never thought about what I needed to do to make sure people's needs were being met. I only was concerned about making sure people felt welcome at church.
Why is it that our culture thinks that GOD desires the glamour and glitz of a hollywood production to be able to accept our worship? Why do we think that our buildings must be the biggest, most ornate, comfortable in order for us to get more people in them. Are people's hearts being changed? Are people's spiritual or physical needs being met? Do we really care? Scripture is full of instructions from GOD to serve our fellow man, yet we want to worry about others living habits (or sins) such as drinking, homosexuality, marital infidelity, or any number of other sins. Are we are more concerned about someone's heart than we are their bank account?
I pray that I will be more concerned with how I worship and not about whether or not it is warm enough in the building, or if I am sitting in MY pew, or other things that matter little in eternity. When I was growing up we sang a song called Change my heart, Oh God! I pray that GOD changes me!
Change my heart, OH GOD
Make it ever true
Change my heart, OH GOD
May I be like you.
YOU are the potter
I am the clay
Mold me and make me
This is what I pray
Change my heart, OH GOD
Make it ever true
Change my heart, OH GOD
May I be like you
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