Out of the Box Worship
God has been breaking us out of the boxes that we have put ourselves and Him in with our thinking and expectations of who His is and what He is going to do. He's been changing our minds about many, many things and this week God wants to break us out of the box concerning worship. Many people think that worship is singing or even prayer to God with your heart lifted to Him and maybe your hands raised up high, or kneeling, perhaps tears running down your face. There are many images that can come to mind, although those are ways to worship in an intimate way with God--we are limited in the amount of time we can do that daily. God is looking for a people who live a Life of Worship.
We find our box breaking scriptures in Romans. The first thing we found out if why we ought to live a life of worship in 11:36, "For everything comes from the him and exists by his power and is intended for HIS glory. ALL glory to him forever! Amen." (capitals added--NLT)
God made us for His glory and this is why Apostle Paul goes on to tell us this all important verse in 12:1-2, "And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect." (NLT)
Apostle Paul goes on throughout the rest of the chapter and talks to us about what a Life of Worship looks like on a daily basis and it has nothing to do with singing but has everything to with, as one of God's unique members in particular that He has given gifts and abilities to, using them on a daily basis to help someone else in a way that truly helps them. This comes from a place of love, and brings glory to God. People are looking for the real and God wants us to show them the REAL HIM and a real love. They are bombarded with fake and pretend all day long every day and have not seen a real God working and moving in people's lives around them let alone their own. This MUST change as we are changed and live a life of worship right at our places of employment and glorify God by helping those all around us. The only way we can truly give the love of God to someone else is if we have received it for ourselves and stop trying to earn it! So, as we are the Mississippi Queen (or the Body of Christ) let us live this life of worship and help someone find their unique member in particular spot. God said, NO BOXES ALLOWED ON THE MISSISSIPPI QUEEN!! ONLY PEOPLE!!! Smash all your boxes up and throw them away and let us seek God for what He is doing this week as we live a life of worship!
Let's discuss the message..Instead of having you answer questions that you may now have the right answers to but it not be past your head as of yet, I will only ask two....
1. What the first image of worship that came to you before you had time to think too much at the beginning of the message?
2. What grabbed a hold of you and changed your mind (breaking you out of your box) during this message of a Life of Worship? Talk about as many or as little as you want as long as it's real to you.
Letting this Word Become Life in My Life,
Elder Christy
