Unrestrained Worship

Jn.4:23 - But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him.

Worship:
True worship emanates from the heart but results in behavior that reflects that our minds, hearts, and spirits that are, in that moment, in the supernatural presence of the Almighty God and His Christ.

3 Levels of worship:

1. Thanksgiving and praise for what God has done

2. Thanksgiving and praise for what God has promised

3. Praise and worship for Who God is.

Mind - The mind is a most unruly organ. It can scan the congregation and make hundreds of recognitions and observations and at the same time bring up the weeks coming events and a rolodex of things to worry about - all while in a "worship service". How much true worship occurs in the average believer's life when he awakes on Sunday morning, spends much time grooming the outward man, organizes his family for the ritualistic pilgrimage to the religious edifice, drives the family filled car with a smattering of small talk, enters the "worship service" without spending any time with the Father in prayer, the Word, or private worship, chit chats with familiar faces, and as the worship leader beckons everyone to stand and the first song begins he starts to sing the song he knows. And so the earthly mind arrives at the church fully in charge, respectfully religious, spiritually superficial, and blending in nicely with the overall atmosphere of well orchestrated singing. I've been there, have you?

Heart - Through the week the average believer's heart is allowed to roam free, searching out its own desires. More money, better cars, bigger houses, more business, better wife, better husband, vicarious sporting victories, career advancement, new or old restaurants, political talk, new clothes, exercise, and all the while lacking the surrendered thirst to seek and know the Lord Himself. So the heart arrives at church with a compartmentalized belief in Jesus that is far from broken, surrendered, or ready for worship, but it can be "uplifted and blessed" by singing. This heart has been allowed to wander during the week and it resists being wholly given to worship at a moments notice. I've been there, have you?

Spirit - When believers arrive at the "worship service" in the Spiritual condition that we've come to expect and accept, true worship is impossible without deep repentance (whatever that is). Good singing, yes. Encouragement, yes. Fellowship, yes. Relevant oratory, yes. But Spiritual worship? And the sad part of it all is that if we've attended a gathering of believers and left without truly worshipping the Lord, we've wasted our time since the gathering then was about us and not Him. Several centuries ago, when the church began to set time parameters for the service, the manifested presence of the Lord started to leave. When cars and watches became the norm, we were doomed. If you have been a follower of Christ for many years you probably have been in a service where God's presence manifests in an unusual way. In those times I've noticed that most believers don't care how long the service extends because the Spirit of God is tangible and the desire for more of God's presence outweighs the passing of time. What does that say about our nicely packaged events? Let me give you a hint: It says the manifested presence of Almighty God is not there. I've been there, have you?

Let's ask ourselves some probing questions that will give answers to others. If you and I opened a door and walked into a room that the Risen Christ was in, and we spent twenty minutes singing and worshipping Him, and we opened the door again and walked out of that room would it change or impact us? Would we leave that room with the same demeanor as we entered? Would we talk about football to the first person we met? Would we immediately discuss lunch plans? Let's go even further, would we discuss how great the music was? No? Well then what would we do in that scenario? We would be filled with a myriad of emotions with many of them out of our natural character. We would feel the Spiritual residual effect of repentance followed by forgiveness and cleansing. We would experience the overwhelming power and desire to walk holy. We would wonder why that room wasn't open every night. But most of all we would want to talk about Jesus to unbelievers and believers alike. We would desire to talk with Him and about Him continually as we rehearsed that glorious experience of His very presence. The more we went into that room with Him, the things of this world would lose their attraction when compared with Him. Talk to Him; talk about Him; think on Him; and strive to exalt Him in every way. We couldn't get away from dwelling on Him!!

But we talk about church We talk politics. We talk sports. We talk food. We talk vacation. We talk money. We talk about music. We talk morality. We talk America. We talk preachers. We talk TV. We talk work. Etc., etc., etc................ But how often do we talk about JESUS???
So who did we really meet in our nice little church service? I'll make you a deal. Let's go into that Spiritual room with the exalted Son of the Living God, and when we leave you can talk about anything you want. Deal?

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You would think that because of the stand I take about the doctrinal collapse in the evangelical world that I would be a little starchy in my worship. I am sorry to disappoint some of you but I am a free and demonstrative worshipper. I have been known a few times in my thirty years to even dance before the Lord in a church service. Uh-oh, the emperor has no clothes!

There are no Biblical restrictions on worshipping the Lord except a broken and contrite spirit. Raising your hands, clapping your hands, weeping, shouting, kneeling, and yes even dancing are all acceptable in God’s sight. I know, I know, many of you are much more staid then I am and some of you would object to the wide parameters that I’ve described. And so many equate demonstrative worship with some objectionable doctrines within the charismatic churches but the Bible makes no such connection.

I will never understand how blood bought, redeemed sinners can sing some of the songs and/or hymns and not get a little emotional and even sometimes a little out of their comfort zones. God is worthy of extravagant worship that is sometimes solemn, sometimes joyous, sometimes convicting, and sometimes accompanied with Spiritual emotions that are difficult if not impossible to put into earthly words. Hymns? Sure. Spiritual songs? Sure. Loud? Sure. Soft? Sure. Upbeat? Sure. Slow? Sure. The words and the message must be clear and Christ centered, that is the only Biblical admonishment. The only approval we seek is the Lord’s and we must never be hindered by man’s evaluation. So often we combine personal preference with Biblical teaching. The Scriptures never address music styles, they just command that we sound a certain sound.

Now to be sure our walk and obedience has an impact on the genuineness of our worship, but I feel quite at home in an orthodox Assembly of God worship service. And our worship should begin at the crack of dawn on Sunday morning so that the garments of praise are already upon us as we enter the building. It amazes me that we are always able to stand before His holy presence and some look around the room as if they are at some class reunion and they are trying to recognize who is present. The Lord of the Universe, the Savior of our souls, is present with us and He who dwells between the cherubim has descended to be among us, inhabiting our worship. I owe Him everything and I cannot help but be moved by His person and presence.

So go ahead and judge me, it matters nothing to me. You see I cannot grant to you that which I have promised to Him alone. I have given Him my heart and all my attentive worship, so I care not what some may say about me, I am nothing and He is all in all. Go ahead and write your opinions about how worship should be and what kind of music is approved by God. That is the spirit of Michal, the daughter of Saul, but I would much rather have the spirit of the psalmist David on my praise and on my worship. And the older I get the free-er I become before my Lord.

So there you have it, open and unfettered. God is looking for worshippers and I have been made one by His Spirit through His grace. Do we not realize who we are before? Can we not sense the holiness of His awesome presence? Can we not weep tears of joy when confronted with the redemption He has purchased for us? Is it wrong to feel like dancing when we are moved by the freedom we have in our glorious Lord? Do our knees never buckle under the weight of His glory when in His presence? Don’t our hands clap with praise and gratitude when we sing the songs of Zion?

All must bow before Him. All can rejoice before Him. All should praise before Him. All should weep tears of overwhelming gratitude before Him.
Release the spirit of worship before an eternally worthy Lord. Worship the Lord thy God with all your heart, soul, spirit, and strength. He has granted us access into His very throne room for the express privilege of worship...unrestrained worship...
for Him alone.