Introduction - Our Spiritual Act Of Worship

I started this "Words of Worship" series at a different phase in my life.  I had a job, but that job consumed me and took priority.  Most of my problems were work related, and these struggles and frustrations informed my writing. However, things have changed for me.  I no longer have this job, but now have a revitalized passion for God and His church. Losing this job has forced me to examine the condition of my life, no longer guided by work ambitions.  It left me with nothing, which pushed me to pursue a stronger relationship with God and His Church.  I have a new desire to live a life of worship to Him.  This means I am starting over in my walk with God and learning to sacrifice and avoid conformation with society.  It means a more focused direction for this series.

Again, I strongly urge you, if you haven't already, to read the first post, "Introduction - A Call to Worship".  This is where I intend to direct my studies, with Romans 12:1-2 the main focus.  Upcoming entries will explore how we can begin to lead a life that worships God, starting with sacrifice and surrender, letting go of the obstacles that keep us from devoting ourselves to Him, followed by studies of faith and trusting God, not being anxious, not falling into routine and relying on our works to save us, learning to look to God and not to ourselves, and recognizing how we reap what we sow in our lives.  From there, I will move to a variety of topics.  You can expect a lot of references to the apostle Paul's letters, because much of this revolves around the spiritual battle in our lives.  As I go through this study, I will be challenging myself and everyone who reads this series to examine our hearts and consider how we need to grow.  When we discuss these matters, I hope to let the biblical passages (not my written words) guide our discussions and hopefully other testimonies will emerge.

In the coming weeks/months, I will take a close look at the key passage that encapsulates the purpose of this blog/series, Romans 12:1-2.  I will write several entries based on the important words and concepts in these verses, with each one including scriptures for further investigation and discussion.  This subseries, "Our Spiritual Act of Worship," will begin by examining God's mercy ("in view of God's mercy"), offering ourselves as living sacrifices, what it means to be holy and pleasing to God, not conforming to the world, being transformed by the renewing of our minds, and understanding God's will.

I hope this new, reborn series will help you in your spiritual development, that you may also experience a rebirth into a life devoted to God, a life that fully worships Him.

Looking Back, Moving Forward

The entries I have posted up to this point were all from before I started this blog and were already distributed to the worship team.  I encourage those who have not read them to give them a look, and feel free to leave comments.  The comments section is for any statement you have regarding the topic, a personal testimony (if you feel comfortable), or another verse you find relevant.  If you have yet to read it, go through any one of these and leave a note if you feel led; if you have read them and already have thoughts on it, please type them up.

Also, be sure to read the introduction, which is the first post and features a mission statement and a thorough description of the purpose of this series.  Here is the list of entries up to this post:

Introduction - A Call To Worship
Entry # 1 - The Awesome God We Praise / Scripture References
Entry #2 - Nobody's Perfect, But God Is! / How To Be Perfect . . . With God's Help
Entry #3 - Slowing Down . . . / Scripture References
Entry # 4 - Preparing For The Worse / Song Reference

Going forward, I will try to add another entry weekly or bi-weekly.  In the meantime, I welcome discussions and other input.  These entries are meant to inspire the reader to see how each one relates to his or her life.  The writing process for me is an outlet to confess areas in my life where I feel I need to improve; your role is to determine what applies to you.  I encourage you to primarily look at the biblical references and search for others not listed, because this is how we grow and God's word is always the most important guide to righteous living.  I promise to always verify that my blogs stay true to the scriptures and I will include references.  It's what I was trained to do as an English major.

I pray that God can use this blog for His glory and that my words flow from Him.  I pray that its purpose will be accomplished in accordance with His will.  I pray that those who read these entries and the passages will be effected by it, that God would be glorified.  Amen.

Preparing for the Worst - Song Reference

Pursuing spiritual growth can be easy during the day, but when the night arrives, it's difficult to maintain this commitment.  This song  addresses this, while recognizing the trials we experience can lead us home.  The key line in this song, which I want to emphasize, is "But I know the trials that come my way are what I prepared for in that day." When the night comes, we have the training during the day to help us through, and God will always be there.

As the light fades from the day

The joy it caused now drifts away

Does the night weigh down my eyes

Obscure the hope now in disguise?

Cause all that I’ve done before I arrived here

Does all of it just disappear?

Cause now that I’m here do I regret all that I’ve done?

Now that I’m here will I forget what made me strong?

Can all my mistakes and all of my faults lead me back home?

To find my way back home

And as the night fades into dawn

Will all the guilt of the dark be gone?

And as regret leaves a heavy cloud

I pray the good is not lost in the shroud

Cause all that I’ve done to bring me this far

Do my failures change all that they are?

Lord I know I turned away

When the night replaced the day

But I know the trials that come my way

Are what I prepared for in that day

Cause now that I am here can I see what needs to be done?

Now that I’m here, do I trust He who made me strong?

Cause all of these trials and all my mistakes lead me back home

To find my way back home

Always remember that when we feel covered by darkness, God’s light will always shine.  He is there even in the night, just as the sun does not disappear at dark.  When we hold on to His light while it is hard to see, we will come out stronger.  Never lose sight when the days fade away.

Entry #4 - Preparing For The Worst

It's hard to worship God through trials.  It takes discipline and a strong faith to trust God when pain increases, a willingness to believe that these trials will lead us home, as long as we stay committed.  When our life seems to be spiraling out of control, it can be hard to let God take over and guide our lives, or take comfort in the knowledge that God has a plan and this trial is a part of his providence.  But there is still a certain joy from the realization after the fact, when the picture becomes clear, that everything worked in accordance to His will.

But it is easy to praise God when everything is going well.  Maintaining a relationship with God through reading the Scriptures, coming to Him in prayer, and fellowshipping with His church can become so much more effortless when life is going smoothly.  But trials are how we grow, suffering builds perseverance.  Challenges bring strength when we learn to overcome them by surrendering to Christ.  Still, it is hard to stay strong in our walk when things go wrong (though, admittedly, since we really don't know what is right for us and God has a perfect plan, life can never really go wrong).

Life can never be easy all the time.  It's inevitable: what goes up must go down.  Trials will come; this is guaranteed in Scripture.  However, we need to be prepared, because these trials test the faith we build in the easy times.  This is why we should never be too comfortable.  We should never let our spiritual walk falter when everything seems to be fine, but this can be our tendency.  Maybe we believe that we are responsible for our ideal life and we don't need God anymore, or maybe we feel the Holy Spirit's presence so strong that we start to lose focus on the responsibilities that maintain our spiritual growth.  We may be feeling good because we are in a comfortable place, and this may not be where God wants us.  He may allow us to hurt as a way to turn us in the right direction. Still, it is during the quiet moments that we need to actively pursue a spiritual maturity, because the troubles will come.

And when they do, we need a foundation of faith to help us through.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ - 1 Peter 1:3-7 (ESV)

This has been a struggle in my life.  I have even been called "spiritually inconsistent," referring to my roller coaster spiritual life.  I constantly have highs and lows in life, many fluctuating throughout the coarse of days, and, unfortunately, I often let this cycle correlate with my spiritual state.  When I feel good, I feel spiritually strong, but this inevitably ends in regrets when the downward fall leads away from God.  In 2007, when I was striving to reach spiritual maturity as a means to play worship with the group at my old church, I made a lot of positive strides, but I fell far later in that year.  This led to the question of whether all that growth was wasted or if they still remained in my life.  From this, I wrote a song called "Now That I'm Here", where I addressed the personal dilemma of maintaining the strength I built in the good times (the day) during the bad times (the night).  The conclusion I came to is that the calm is the time to build up our spiritual foundations, so that the storm won't blow us away.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil . . . take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. - Ephesians 6:10-11,13

So when I look at my life, and when everything seems to be going well, I look ahead and remind myself that things will get worse.  If I don't, I can be caught off guard by the inevitable pain.  It is  during the quiet moments that we need to be prepared, because when life grows hectic, it is difficult to maintain a spiritual course.  When an army goes out to fight, do they just go out to battle haphazardly, or do they lay out plans and develop strategies?  Of course, it would be the latter.  So when things are good, hold fast to God's Word and His Truth, instill it in your very being, so it can keep you strong during the trials. Put on the armor of God and never let your guard down (Ephesians 6:10-20).  Without these tests, how can we know where we stand?  Adversity is necessary, so we must be prepared.

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. - James 1:12

When the storm is passed, we can look back and see how God worked through those trials and praise Him for His perfect plan for our lives.  Hopefully, the experience will make us stronger and even more spiritually prepared for the next storm.

More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. - Romans 5:3-5

Worship God in the good times, worship Him in the bad, and when we look back, we can worship God for taking the bad times and working them for His good.  Always remember that life will get hard and never lose sight of that.  We cannot become complacent when things are well, or we might be lazy and caught off guard by hardships. Strengthen your faith and know a test will come.  It is through these trials that we can see how greatly God can move in our lives.

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. - James 1:2-4

Our Challenge For Worship

Do we worship God only in the good times and then turn our backs when life doesn't go our way?  Are we failing to fully prepare ourselves for the spiritual battle ahead by growing too comfortable?  Let us continually build a relationship with God and not lose sight of Him during the painful moments.  Let us always remember that God's great plan will prevail in our life.

Slowing Down . . . Scripture References

Waiting on the Lord

If we move through life too fast and fail to slow down and appreciate life, we will miss out on what God has in store for us.  We must wait on Him and let him guide us.

The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. – Lamentations 3:25 (KJV)

Be still before the LORD 
   and wait patiently for him; 
do not fret when people succeed in their ways, 
   when they carry out their wicked schemes. – Psalm 37:7

Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day. – Psalms 25:5 (KJV)

Since ancient times no one has heard, 
   no ear has perceived, 
no eye has seen any God besides you, 
   who acts on behalf of those who wait for him. – Isaiah 64:4

but those who hope in the LORD 
   will renew their strength. 
They will soar on wings like eagles; 
   they will run and not grow weary, 
   they will walk and not be faint. – Isaiah 40:31

But you must return to your God; 
   maintain love and justice, 
   and wait for your God always. – Hoseah 12:6

Be still, and know that I am God - Psalm 46:10

Avoiding the Routine

The danger of not slowing down and waiting on God is that we can make acts of worship into routine, making it less significant.  This is similar to the problems Jesus addressed with the Pharisees and Paul referred to in his remarks about the law (look in the gospels and Paul’s letters for examples).  It is important to make love and faith apart of our efforts at spiritual growth (worship).

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. – Corinthians 13:1-3

You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? Have you experienced so much in vain—if it really was in vain? So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard? So also Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”^[

Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”  Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because “the righteous will live by faith.” The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, it says, “The person who does these things will live by them.” Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.” He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit. – Galatians 3:1-14

Trusting God’s Better Plan

We all like to have control, which is a part of our drive to move forward.  We need to stop and not get caught up in our own plans, because God’s will prevails.  We need to be open to God’s path.

Commit to the LORD whatever you do, 
   and he will establish your plans. – Proverbs 16:3

In their hearts humans plan their course, 
   but the LORD establishes their steps. – Proverbs 16:9

Many are the plans in a person’s heart, 
   but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails. – Proverbs 19:21

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. – Jeremiah 29:11
In him we were also chosen,^[a] having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. – Ephesians 1:11,12

Conclusion

It’s time to relax, calm down, take a breath, and trust God.  We can’t move through life so fast that we miss out on all the important details. If we make life a routine, worship becomes less significant, because it is only an act.  We need to wait on God, because He has a plan for us and it is better than our own. We need to slow down and trust Him.

Entry #3 - Slowing Down . . .

Wait.  Hold up a minute.  Just a second.  You’re moving too fast, never stopping to look around. Take in your surroundings.  Breathe.  Relax.  “Stop and smell the roses.”  You seem to think everything has to be done now, like there won’t be time, but sometimes you try to do too much too fast. Ambition can destroy you, especially when you fall short of your goals.  You extend yourself further, reaching for the next rung on the ladder, climbing higher and higher without pausing, your eyes so focused on what’s ahead that you don’t see what surrounds.  It’s a long fall down, especially when your eyes are set on the goals you’ve created.  No matter how close it seems, you can never quite catch it.  You reach for it and it escapes your grasp.  This is life.  This is the way the world works.  Ambition.  Competition. Drive to succeed, followed, inevitably, by the sting of failure.

But this is not how we should be.  This is a selfish worldview that only focuses on what best gratifies the individual.  It is easy to get caught up in ambition, and there is nothing wrong with setting goals, but when those goals encapsulate a singular vision and shut out the peripherals, we are doing more damage to ourselves and others than good.  If we become too focused on the goal, we can lose sight of the reason for the goal.  We can become disconnected from others.  It’s the reason why people who strive for academic excellence may participate in a variety of different clubs without any true relationships.  Or why a business man can step over people in his climb to the top without any compassion.  Ambition and drive can be good, as long as you don’t lose yourself.

This becomes especially dangerous when it interferes with our spiritual walk.  We should set goals for ourselves and make efforts to grow, but that should not be the only focus.  At times, we can make a list of tasks we need to complete and this becomes our guideline for living.  Read God’s Word,  Check.  Pray.  Check.  Serve in ministry.  Check.  Go to Church and Fellowship with others.   Check. These are all expectations we should have of ourselves and are steps to developing a relationship with God and His people, but if we dwell on the list, we can lose sight of the reason for it.  We might not fully absorb the words from the Bible, simply satisfied with the act of reading.  We may not truly have a conversation with God, instead simply reciting the prayers out of obligation.  We may not fully experience the joys of serving others, or being a part of a Church community, because we only see the goal and nothing else.

Look around.  Stop and look into the eyes of the people you are serving.  Listen to those around you.  Don’t just move on.  Absorb the scriptures; let His words consume your life.  Let every prayer be spoken as a conversation to the Awesome God who created the universe.  Don’t lose sight of who He is.

All these acts—Scripture-reading, prayer, fellowship with Christians, service—are important parts of worship.  They are components to living a Spirit filled life, when the goal is set in the right place.  It has to be about desiring a closer relationship with God and doing His will.  If we do it out of obligation, we can move too fast to see God.  If we don’t slow down, we may not see how a passage is relevant to our lives or the lives of someone we know (we may not even take the time to share it in our haste);  if we don’t slow down, our prayers may become empty, because we didn’t take the time to truly examine our hearts or talk to someone who is hurting; if we don’t slow down, we might be at church just long enough and not fellowship as well as we should (talk to a few, but no more);  if we don’t slow down, worship becomes only about the song.

To me, this is the biggest stumbling block to worship.  It’s a dangerous game to play. After all, worship music still requires structure.  We all have an expectation as a part of a band, with different roles to play.  This can make our part into a task, which can lead to the trap of focusing on the “checklist item” instead of the purpose.  Okay, I play this part.  I sing here. Verse-Chorus-Verse-Bridge.  Next Song.  Alright, come up during prayer at the end.  It’s easy for the focus to be on the acts, but the result is losing sight of those around us and the One we are worshipping.  The awesome God we serve.

There is so much you can miss if you don’t open your eyes.  If you remain focused on yourself, your own goals, you won’t be able to appreciate others.  Stop trying so hard.  Just be still.  Just take a step back, look around, and let God—not ambition—guide you.

God does not want our routine.  He frowns on ritualistic behavior that is void of relationship.  Consider the Pharisees and the conflicts Jesus had with these religious leaders, who did all the right things but without love.  Love is the key word here, because it is a part of relationships and a part of worship.  Routine without love is selfish and this is where we fall into the trap of empty acts.  Jesus took the time to dwell with sinners and minister to them.  This is how we should act.  We need to slow down and fellowship with others, not get caught up in our own agenda, our checklist.  This agenda is like the Law that the Pharisees were so devoted to, and this was also a concern Paul repeatedly addressed in his letters.  Again, it is important to do these things, but if it becomes simply about performing these acts, than we are worshiping the tasks instead of God.

Be patient.  Don’t rush through the routine and expect everything to happen quickly.  Don’t feel that everything will improve if you just do the checklist items.  Let God reach into your life and consume you, filling you with His spirit.  Let Him lead you, instead of the routine.  Let your time with Him be about relationship; let your ministry be about others.  Let Love direct your path.

It can be hard to wait.  We want everything to come easy and fast, but we must trust God’s timing.  God has a plan for us, but we must be open to it.  We must be willing to give Him control and to not rely on our own plan.  Our plans will fail, which can be discouraging, but if we surrender to God, we will find His pace and His will is far more fulfilling.  If we let God expand our horizons, we will be amazed by what we see.

Our Challenge for Worship

Are we going through the motions?  Are we participating in ministry for the sake of participating?  Let us keep in mind why we worship and seek God’s will for us.

How To Be Perfect . . . With God’s Help

1. Perfection Requires Humility

God calls us to be perfect, as He is perfect.  We must first humble ourselves, as God did, becoming a servant.  In this way, we can be like Him.

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.  - Phillipians 2:1-11

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. - Ephesians 4:2

Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away. . . All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,"God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.  - 1 Peter 5:2-6

2. God Alone Is Perfection

God is perfect and desires perfection from us. If we are to imitate Him, we must consider just Who God is.

He is the Rock, his works are perfect, 
   and all his ways are just. 
A faithful God who does no wrong, 
   upright and just is he. – Deuteronomy 32:4

As for God, his way is perfect: 
   The LORD’s word is flawless; 
   he shields all who take refuge in him. – 2 Samuel 22:31

3. Perfection Through His Sacrifice and Grace

God’s grace can bring us closer to perfection and, through His sacrifice, by humility, we can become “perfect” in His sight.  However, it takes sacrifice on our part too.

a. Christ’s Sacrifice – We could never be perfect on our own, but Christ’s death redeems us so that we can be perfect in His eyes when seen through His blood.

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. – 2 Corinthians 12:9,10

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. – Romans 3-23-26

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—  not by works, so that no one can boast. – Ephesians 2:7-9

For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. – Hebrews 10:14

b. Our Sacrifice – Our first responsibility is to surrender, but this is not the end for us.  There is a continual battle we encounter, and we have to decide to follow Christ instead of our flesh.  God’s grace makes us perfect, but to be holy as God is holy, we must chose to live like Christ.

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?  By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?  Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.  For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.

Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.

In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace. – Romans 6:1-14

Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. – 2 Corinthians 7:1

Conclusion

To be perfect, we must look to the One who is faultless and who redeemed us with His sacrifice.  We can only be perfect through the grace of God, but we must make a continual effort to serve God with our lives.  However, we will fail and we will make mistakes.  We will have our rises and falls, but Christ’s sacrifice covers this.  So, we can still participate in ministry with our struggles, as long as we stay humble and continually seek Him, not allowing our sin to take over.

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 3:12-14

Entry #2 - Nobody’s Perfect, But God Is!

Hey, nobody’s perfect.

We’ve all heard this before.  It is the standard reflex to making a mistake, our excuse for whenever we are in error.  If something goes wrong, we just shrug it off and declare this all too familiar statement.  Nobody’s perfect.  Believing we have to be can be a stumbling block that destroys our self esteem, because we all make mistakes.  So, the old adage is far more important than we realize; if we don’t instill this in our lives, we can be tainted by our own pride, and our service to God can be affected.  That’s the danger of demanding perfection, because when we don’t achieve it, it is so easy to be discouraged.  Desiring perfection leads to us focusing on ourselves and not relying on God, which is the result of pride.  Christ died because we can’t be perfect.

And yet, it is so hard to accept this.

Maybe some are better at this than others.  Some can say this phrase and fully believe it, while, more importantly, understanding that Christ covers these sins.  Others see imperfections as something that disqualifies them from a role in ministry.  These are the people who have been deceived by Satan and I, unfortunately, fall into this category.  We all fall, and this is definitely true in my life, but the fault is when we let these sins take over our lives,  when we say “I can’t be perfect, so I can’t serve God.”  The next step is to fall deeper into our vices, believing that this lack of perfection is reason enough to just accept our sins.  We resign ourselves to just continuing on the same road, because perfection is so far from our grasp.  We feel incapable of perfection, but while this is true, our pride leads to repeating the same mistakes.  This is when “nobody’s perfect” becomes a problem, because not striving for it will destroy us.

Proverbs 16:18 – Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before the fall.

This is the paradox of the search for perfection.  We can admit we are not perfect and simply continue on the wrong path, allowing pride to lead us to a place that says “I can’t be perfect, so why try?”  This is the wrong response.  It’s easy to confuse a self-effacing outlook with humility, but they are not the same.  Believing we are not good enough may be true, but it is detrimental when we believe this makes us insignificant.  Humility says “I’m not good enough, but God is gracious and He loves me.  Through him, and only through his sacrifice, I can do good works.”  Here is where accepting our faults is beneficial, when it is paired with repentance.

Romans 12:3 - For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. 

When we believe we can be perfect on our own, we have too high of an opinion of ourselves.  The result is that failing to meet perfection can lead to self loathing and bitterness, which is followed by continuing the same pattern.  However, when we maintain sober judgment, we rely on God and he redeems us.

Before attending Spring Lake, I was a member of another church where I had been my entire life.  For eight years, I served in the worship ministry.  Of course, I was and still am not perfect, but I loved worship and I anticipated every service.  This was a true passion of mine and no matter where I was in my walk with God, I still managed to fully engage myself in worship.  Until one day, a new worship pastor took over the youth group team (which I had led) and brought what I thought was a performance-centered approach to worship.  I visibly expressed my disapproval in a meeting and was deemed too spiritually immature to play on the team.  I had to regularly meet with him until he felt I was good enough to play with the group.  I was scarred by this experience, and I still find myself believing that I can’t play worship until I perfect my spiritual life.  I find it hard to believe otherwise.  However, God does not want us to believe we can’t serve Him because we have spiritual inconsistencies.  If this were true, ministry would cease to exist.  In fact, serving God is a way to grow spiritually.

1 Peter 4:10 - Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.

Don’t feel that you have to have everything figured out before you can be a leader.  This is a matter of pride.  It assumes that we are above God, because we are the ones that decide who deserves to serve in a leadership capacity.  What this neglects is the truth that God has a purpose for us and He guides our paths.  If He gives us gifts, He wants us to use them to serve Him.  Saying “we aren’t good enough”, because we have not reached perfection, tells God that he can’t move through us in spite of our faults, which diminishes our God.  Not serving in a church community will only perpetuate our sins, because we are not fellowshipping with others, and that hurts our spiritual walk.  We are all part of God’s body, and we have the responsibility to share our gifts.

1 Corinthians 12:24-27 - But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

So, we don’t have to be perfect, right?  We just have to contribute as God requires and rely on God’s grace to save us.  We can simply be justified and serve God while still sinning, right?.  Absolutely not.  Paul, one of the greatest figures in scriptures and an active missionary who shared God’s Word, also struggled with imperfections, which he admits in Romans 7.  However, he says this to the suggestion that we can continue in our ways because of God’s grace: ^“What then? Shall we sin because we are . . . under grace? By no means! Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?” (Romans 6:15,16)  This passage highlights an important truth that I believe differentiates the servants who strive for God and those who serve God in ministry without truly embracing Him.  God will use us, no matter what our spiritual state.  He is sovereign and His plan will be accomplished, even if it is through imperfect people.  However, we cannot serve two masters, and our sins can still rule our lives even while we minister to others.  This leads me to the point that I find essential to remember: God can use us in our weakness, but we cannot truly appreciate God and His purpose if we are still slaves to our sin.  We can worship, and people can be led to worship, but we hurt ourselves if we don’t seek God fully.  If we don’t open ourselves to surrender and follow God, we won’t fully appreciate how God is using us.  We’ll still be separated from Him.

And that is why God is not satisfied with us just accepting our imperfections.  He wants us to turn to Him and let His grace overcome, which takes sacrifice.  It takes continual acts and, yes, some effort on our part, because we need to daily serve God, be filled by His Spirit.  This comes from devotion and prayer.  This comes from trusting the Lord.  We can’t be perfect, except through God’s grace, but we cannot be slaves to our flesh.  We must be slaves to righteousness.  We must “prepare [our] minds for action; be self-controlled; set [our] hope fully on the grace to be given [us] when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, [we cannot] conform to the evil desires [we] had when [we] lived in ignorance. But just as he who called [us] is holy, [we must] be holy in all [we] do; for it is written: "Be holy, because [God is] holy." (1 Peter 1:13-16) God expects a lot from us, but we can’t do it on our own.  We need to surrender to Him, the Perfect God, if we ever want to approach His throne without fault.  Of course, we still will sin, but that is why Christ died, to free us from our sin.  He wants a relationship with us, and sent his son to die for this purpose.  All he asks is that we desire the same.

Paul, who openly admitted his faults in Romans, but who was an active part of God’s ministry in the New Testament (and came from a background of persecuting Christians), also declares his desire to reach perfection, even as it is difficult to attain:  ^“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:12-14)  We are not perfect, and we can’t be on our own.  But we must strive for it, turning to God.  Christ expects this of us; he commands it: “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthews 5:48)  We can’t use imperfections as an excuse.

Nobody’s perfect . . . But God is.  And we need to be like God.

Our Challenge For Worship

Are we using our imperfections as an excuse?  Do we believe we aren’t good enough to worship God?  When we worship, let us strive to be pleasing to God, a slave to righteousness, not our sin.  Not to be hard on ourselves, but to full embrace God.

The Awesome God We Praise – Scripture References

Worshipping God for Who He Is

The central part of worship is an acknowledgement of the greatness of our God.  Understanding who He is and what He has given us compels us to sing praises.

¹ Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. 
 ² Worship the LORD with gladness; 
   come before him with joyful songs. 
³ Know that the LORD is God. 
   It is he who made us, and we are his; 
   we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
 ⁴ Enter his gates with thanksgiving 
   and his courts with praise; 
   give thanks to him and praise his name. 
⁵ For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; 
   his faithfulness continues through all generations. - Psalm 100

² I have seen you in the sanctuary 
   and beheld your power and your glory. 
³ Because your love is better than life, 
   my lips will glorify you. 
⁴ I will praise you as long as I live, 
   and in your name I will lift up my hands. 
⁵ I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods; 
   with singing lips my mouth will praise you - Psalm 63:2-5

²⁸ Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, ²⁹ for our “God is a consuming fire.” - Hebrews 12:28,29

¹ Ascribe to the LORD, you heavenly beings, 
   ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. 
² Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; 
   worship the LORD in the splendor of his^[a] holiness. – Psalm 29:2

(Note: Reading the Psalms can be an excellent way to prepare our hearts for worship.  David and the other writers, through God’s inspiration, strongly capture the awesomeness of the God we praise.)

Humility as an Act of Worship

Worship comes from a place of humility and surrender.  Through this act, we can be drawn closer to God and he can lift us up.

¹⁰ Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. – James 4:10

⁶ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. ⁷ Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. – 1 Peter 5:6,7

²² Cast your cares on the LORD 
   and he will sustain you; 
he will never let 
   the righteous be shaken. – Psalm 55:22

Come near to God and he will come near to you. – James 4:8

Worship that Pleases Our Lord

God is awesome and worship requires acts of surrender.  However, when we look at how great God is, we shouldn’t lose sight of how much our praises please Him.

⁴ For the LORD takes delight in his people; 
   he crowns the humble with victory. – Psalm 149:4


The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love. – Psalm 147:11

There are obviously far more biblical passages to refer to with more on this subject, and I will include more of these as I explore different topics of worship in future entries.  However, I encourage everyone to do their own studies and find passages that further illustrates this message or offer a perspective of your own.  Share these passages with the members of the worship team, through e-mails, the comments section below, or in person during rehearsals, before or after services, whenever you feel inspired.  The Word of God can lift us up and prepare us for worship.  Just as we pray for each other, we must also offer words of worship from our own experience and from the scriptures.  I believe it is a great opportunity for us to grow as a team.

Entry #1 - The Awesome God We Praise

Bebo Norman released a song recently that has become a personal favorite of mine, and one that I often play during times of worship when I am alone with only my guitar.  The song is called “God of my Everything,” and it features an uplifting line that demonstrates God’s personal connection with each of us despite the large scope of His Greatness:

In all creation, you call my name

In all the beauty that this world displays

Still I’m the one for whom your heart aches

In all creation

This is such a powerful statement.  Consider the Greatness of God and all He is capable of.  Consider the Wonders of Creation.  It is hard to truly grasp the Magnitude of His Splendor and Holiness, and yet God aches for us.  Each and every person.  It is hard to fathom, but when we truly accept it, it can transform us.  It is then that we truly embrace the Love of our Creator.  The Creator of the earth calls for us, and He aches . . . He aches for us.  He sent His Son to die for us.  But do we truly understand that?  Do we truly embrace it?

We sing about God’s Awesomeness and Holiness, but I wonder how much we comprehend it.  I know that I often fail to appreciate who God is, and I make Him small in my own eyes.  But when we gain even a fraction of an understanding of God’s greatness, worship becomes even more powerful, simply because this Awesome, Amazing, Holy, Magnificent, Wonderful God delights in hearing us play and sing.

Think about that.  Think about Who we are worshipping and then consider how much God appreciates our praise.  God listens and enjoys our music.  No matter how bad we think it sounds, no matter how imperfect, when we truly surrender, the perfect God cherishes the sounds we lift to Him.  I know we all believe the words we sing, and all the songs that proclaim God’s Greatness.  I know that, even if it is not continual and stronger some days than others, we are in awe of our Creator.  But what truly encourages me, and I hope it does the same for everyone on this team, is that God, our Creator, values the creation we bring to him: our worship is beautiful to He who Controls the Universe.

Worship is our response to the Wonder of our Lord.  It comes from a place of brokenness and accepting how small we are compared to Him.  But, true worship does not end with the thought that God is Great and we are not.   True worship comes from a place where we lift Him high because He hears us and loves us.  It is not one sided.  God is not this impersonal being in heaven.  Our songs are not like gifts we offer to Him just to appease Him but that are ultimately just thrown into a pile.  God holds every gift close to Him.  We sing to Him because of All that He has given us, and He listens with delight because He loves every note and every person who sings and plays them.

What a powerful Truth.  In all creation, God calls for us and aches for us.  He meets us on a personal level.  And we have the great honor to represent Him as leaders in worship.  Consider the privilege we as people blessed with musical gifts have to lead others to a place of worship, because we are given the opportunity to bring God’s people closer to Him with these songs.  While it is God and His Spirit that draws us to Him, we are the vessels God has chosen to accomplish this.  God treasures the voices of surrender rising from his people.  God longs for us to draw closer to Him and worship is a means for this.  It leaves us vulnerable and united with the amazing God in heaven.

So when we stand up in front of the congregation, singing or playing our instruments, or even for those who mix the sound and run the videos, I hope we can always remember Who it is we are playing for.  It is not the crowd in front of us.  It is not the other members of the team.  We are playing for the God who created the universe and yet loves us so much He listens to our songs and relishes our praise.  We are not performing; we are bringing others to this place of worship.  Consider how much God desires a relationship with us and how He longs for us to draw closer to Him.  Worship is one of the manners in which this is accomplished, and it is my belief that it is the most powerful form of surrender, when our hearts match the words we sing.  God desires this and He uses us as a worship team to bring others to this place.  Even when our hearts are not fully focused on Him when we play, He still uses us to lift up others.

Worship can be a comfort in the lives of others.  People come to church dealing with pain and hurt, and sometimes the right song helps alleviate that pain, leading to the point of surrender.  This is the role we play, and it is an important one.  God is truly indescribable, as another worship song beautifully illustrates, but for all He is capable of, all he has done, he still loves to hear us when we surrender to Him in worship.

What an Awesome God we praise.

¹ I will exalt you, my God the King; 
   I will praise your name for ever and ever. 
² Every day I will praise you 
   and extol your name for ever and ever.

³ Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; 
   his greatness no one can fathom. 

⁴ One generation commends your works to another; 
   they tell of your mighty acts. 
⁵ They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty— 
   and I will meditate on your wonderful works. 
⁶ They tell of the power of your awesome works— 
   and I will proclaim your great deeds. 
⁷ They celebrate your abundant goodness 
   and joyfully sing of your righteousness.

 ⁸ The LORD is gracious and compassionate, 
   slow to anger and rich in love.

 ⁹ The LORD is good to all; 
   he has compassion on all he has made. 
¹⁰ All your works praise you, LORD; 
   your faithful people extol you. 
¹¹ They tell of the glory of your kingdom 
   and speak of your might, 
¹² so that all people may know of your mighty acts 
   and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. 
¹³ Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, 
   and your dominion endures through all generations.

   The LORD is trustworthy in all he promises 
   and faithful in all he does.
¹⁴ The LORD upholds all who fall 
   and lifts up all who are bowed down. 
¹⁵ The eyes of all look to you, 
   and you give them their food at the proper time. 
¹⁶ You open your hand 
   and satisfy the desires of every living thing.

 ¹⁷ The LORD is righteous in all his ways 
   and faithful in all he does. 
¹⁸ The LORD is near to all who call on him, 
   to all who call on him in truth. 
¹⁹ He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; 
   he hears their cry and saves them. 
²⁰ The LORD watches over all who love him, 
   but all the wicked he will destroy.

 ²¹ My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD. 
   Let every creature praise his holy name 
   for ever and ever. - Psalm 145

Our Challenge for Worship

How do we see God?  Do we truly appreciate who He is?  Do we truly stand in awe?  Maybe we do, but we need to examine how we see ourselves, because this Great God cherishes our praise.  When we worship, let’s try not to get caught up in our faults and instead embrace the Truth that God loves us and values our broken hearts.  God wants to draw close to us, and we have an opportunity not only to draw close in worship, but also lead others to Him.  It’s my prayer that we never lose sight of that.