He is Worthy

6.5.18

Worship is a strange thing. Essentially (in my opinion), worship is giving praise back to God, who gave us the ability to give him praise in the first place. . . When you say it like that, it sort of makes God sound narcissistic. However, as many of you know, that’s not the God we have come to know and be in relationship with, and that’s where the point of worship begins.

We were designed to be in relationship with one another and with God. Here on earth, we show people we care for them by how we speak to them, how much time we spend with them, what we give to them, and how we express our feelings for them. It is no different for our relationship with God. Often we find ourselves in church on Sunday morning, singing words on a screen or in a hymnal and following the leaders directions. Worship for many, has become a repetitive process as something we just “do”. Even for worship leaders it can become mundane and repetitive; pick out songs, schedule the team, make the tracks, get the words in the computer, have service, wash and repeat.

It is is not uncommon for us to feel disconnected from God sometimes. Look in scripture and you’ll find many of the those we read about in scripture and have gone on before us had sometimes felt distant from God. Whether its a church leader, a volunteer, your average church goer, or a brand new face in the seats; worship is about our hearts. We sing songs about giving our hearts to God, renewing our hearts, etc, but when it comes down to it, our heart is what brings us life. God designed us to live life and life abundantly. So it makes sense that we gather together and worship him week in and week out for the gift of life (and new life through Jesus) that He has blessed us with.

The trick is guiding your heart in such a way that it reflects the glory that God deserves, not the glory you may or may not feel like giving Him on that particular day. I’ve heard it said from my father in law, and now I say it all the time; “worship is a way to realign our hearts, with God’s heart”. Essentially, when we worship, we are acknowledging that without God, we would not be here. We would not have the ability to sing, to dance, to read about His promises, to give him praise when things are going so well, or to be angry or frustrated at Him when things aren’t going how “we” want them. The beauty of worship is that God deserves it, regardless of how we feel, what situation we are in, or what day of the week it is. In a world that is constantly changing, the worthiness and power of God remains the same.

As worshippers and worship leaders, it is important for us to teach and disciple people on what it means to worship. Yes, we can argue about “how to worship” or worship styles, and while it is important to connect with your community in the way you present and share the gospel - the why behind worship should always remain the same. I like to sum it up very simply like this, “we worship, because He is worthy”. Whether you’re reading out of a hymnal or looking at words on a screen. Whether you’re in a church of fifteen people or fifteen thousand. Each and every person on this earth was created to be in relationship with God, through His son Jesus, and it is important for us to remember, that regardless of our earthly situations, He is worthy.

So on the days when the worship team or choir is killing it, the sound is filling the room but not making people mad, when the lights, haze, and tracks are firing correctly, or the singers are hitting all of their parts perfectly, and the lead pastor is smiling ear to ear… to the days when nothing is going right, you have half your team bail last minute for service, someone trips on their choir robe and knocks everyone over, your voice is so gone you couldn’t sing “Mary had a Little Lamb”, or the power goes out as the countdown begins. Just remember, no matter where YOU are or what your circumstance, He is worthy. The sooner we can remember that and teach it to our teams and congregations, the better and more engaged our worship will be - not just on the weekends in a corporate worship setting, but also in our personal worship, in the car, in our office, and in our homes.

I hope you find this encouraging, no matter where on the ministry or success scale you currently find yourself. You have purpose and belonging in the kingdom of God, and that’d something to be excited about. So the next time you’re tired from work the night before, or the church coffee machine runs out on you, someone steals your favorite seat, or they aren’t singing any of your favorite songs; He is worthy.

|Mike Hertsenberg|