I hope that you're enjoying this worship study and the Lord is allowing you to experience Him in fresh, new ways through His Word, prayer, and insights from the study.
TODAY'S MAIN IDEA:
True worship requires that we understand who God is and who we are in comparison.
At this point in our study, Harland reminds us that we have learned two basic points:
1. Worship is our response to God's revelation of who He is and what He has done.
2. Our worship provides a place of meeting, a habitation for God's presence.
He says that "worship is really fairly simple: God initiates and we respond" (p. 70, workbook).
Grace--Our Only Hope
"Love came down to us in Christ Jesus. We didn't deserve that kind of grace. We are indeed recipients of God's unmerited favor--grace that is everlasting. God's grace is not dependent upon ritual or tradition, performance or precision. It is always dependent, however, upon our submission to the Truth. Jesus--the revelation of who God really is" (p. 71, workbook).
So---
Grace is always dependent upon our submission to the Truth!
Harland says that as we believe in the revelation of God expressed through His Son, we receive the gift of His grace: life!
"Grace determines how God "sees" His children. Without grace, we could never worship God. Entering to His presence would surely condemn us to death. But, praise His holy name, His grace is sufficient! God so loved the world that H
e gave and He gave and He gave ... and He continues to give today" (p. 72, workbook).
Thank you Lord for your unmerited favor that you have given me--your love and grace are amazing--a true gift that I cannot earn.
Love came down in Jesus Christ. We didn't deserve that kind of love.
Thank God throughout the day for His wonderful and remarkable love that He bestows on us.
Bless you,
Ken
As I really study through the Seven Words book and especially this week as we consider His grace for us and our response in worship to Him... I started really thinking about not only what my worship means to me, but also what that worship shows my family (especially my three young children).
ReplyDeleteOne of my vice's is that I love to watch Friday Night Lights on The 101 Network on DirecTV. Not the best show for moral guidance, but I am a huge football nut and this TV show fits that need! :-)
Last week's episode witnessed the coach's oldest daughter struggling with wanting to go to church. She actually says, "If you and dad didn't go each week, I wouldn't miss going." She is old enough to drive(and to know what she is saying), and even though it is totally fiction, that comment from a kid to her parents really disturbed me.
For me, it seems like my worship and the way I love God for His grace and for loving me should also be a worship that shows to my family. It should show my kids that I genuinely enjoy going to church, singing in the choir, and being involved with the various components of "worship" in my life throughout the week.
I pray that John David, Katie and Emma grow up seeing that both Amanda and I truly love the Lord and we love worshiping him on Sunday and the rest of the week. I pray that we are even better examples and leaders to them than our parents were for both of us. I pray that they all grow up with a love for God and a love for worshiping him every day of the week.
What a great study! I have been doing good to keep up with the study, but haven't had a chance to check up on the blog, so forgive me for not joining the comments yet.
ReplyDeleteI have an admission: I really didn't think that I could learn much more about worship, so I half-heartedly started this study not expecting to glean anything from it. I mean...I have spent my whole life worshipping, right? From the time that I was in 7th grade, I have sung in a gospel group with my family (a group that is still together..even though I moved away). Our weekends have always been full of travel singing in churches or other Christian venues. Really? What more is there, right? As usual….I am WRONG! This study really has opened up something far deeper than I ever imagined. Worship is far more than a song or any musical element of the sort. Worship commands my very being to be at one with Him. I love the phrase that worship is "God initiates and we respond".
My dad’s favorite saying about me was “Angie will always be a Martha and never a Mary”. It took me years to really understand that statement. He was right. I am always busy….never still….meaning well…serving others…and sometimes missing a moment with my Lord and Savior. I don’t think that Dad really EVER meant that last statement. Oh...I AM busy, meaning well, and serving others, but yes….sometimes….like Martha, I am too busy to be still when Jesus in right in my midst. Love DID come down in Jesus Christ. He is in my midst….but how do I respond?
I fervently pray, throughout this study, that I can be the “worshipper” that He desires me to be. Thanks for putting this study in front of me, and helping me see past the music...and focusing on “true” worship.
Angie