Tag: worship

The Position, Posture & Place of our Worship

Part 3 — The Place of our Worship

In the book of Mark is a story of a woman’s act of love, service and devotion to the Lord. Her story is lost to time, not even her name is given in this passage. We don’t know her life story, we don’t know her past but we do see a glimpse of her heart. It is a story that shows us the position, posture and place of our worship.

Mark 14:3-9 ESV

3 And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head. 4 There were some who said to themselves indignantly, “Why was the ointment wasted like that? 5 For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they scolded her. 6 But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 7 For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me. 8 She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial. 9 And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.”

  1. The Place of our Worship

When I think about the place of our worship, my mind goes back to the verse when Jesus is speaking to the woman at the well. He says in John 4:23 ” But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship Him.” Jesus then says this in verse 24 “For God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in Spirit and Truth.

We can go deeper into what Jesus is saying here but put it simply this way; we don’t have to go to a building (church) to worship. Our worship should not only be contained within the four walls of a building, but outside, in your car, in your home, in your workplace. His Spirit is what is living inside of us! Paul says this in 1 Corinthians 6:19 “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own.”

God, His Spirit is what is living inside of us. He is our place of worship!

The Position, Posture & Place of our worship Part 2

In the book of Mark is a story of a woman’s act of love, service and devotion to the Lord. Her story is lost to time, not even her name is given in this passage. We don’t know her life story, we don’t know her past but we do see a glimpse of her heart. It is a story that shows us the position, posture and place of our worship.

Mark 14:3-9 ESV

3 And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head. 4 There were some who said to themselves indignantly, “Why was the ointment wasted like that? 5 For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they scolded her. 6 But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 7 For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me. 8 She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial. 9 And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.”

  1. THE POSTURE OF WORSHIP

THE BIBLE RECORDS NO WORDS FROM THIS WOMAN, JUST A SIMPLE ACT OF DEVOTION. A lot of times especially in worship, we come to know God with and without words. We don’t always have to sing along with a song in order to worship Him. We worship from the heart than with our lips.

IT’S NOT HOW WE LOOK WHEN WE WORSHIP, ITS ABOUT THE POSTURE OF OUR HEART.

GOD HONORS WORSHIP FROM THE HEART, JOHN 4:24 “GOD IS SPIRIT, AND THOSE WHO WORSHIP HIM MUST WORSHIP IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH.”

WE MUST GIVE OUR ALL JUST AS THIS WOMAN DID.

///REFLECTION///

ONCE THE VESSEL THAT HELD THE OINTMENT WAS BROKEN, THERE WAS NO STOPPING IT, IT HAD TO BE USED AT ONCE. ARE WE STOPPING OUR PRAISE FOR ANY REASON? HOW MANY TIMES HAVE WE GRIEVED THE SPIRIT FROM HOLDING BACK OUR PRAISE?

The Position, Posture and Place of our Worship Part 1 – The Position of our Worship

In the book of Mark is a story of a woman’s act of love, service and devotion to the Lord. Her story is lost to time, not even her name is given in this passage. We don’t know her life story, we don’t know her past but we do see a glimpse of her heart. It is a story that shows us the position, posture and place of our worship.

Mark 14:3-9 ESV

3 And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head. 4 There were some who said to themselves indignantly, “Why was the ointment wasted like that? 5 For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they scolded her. 6 But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 7 For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me. 8 She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial. 9 And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.”

Part 1 – The Position of our Worship

  1. THE POSITION OF WORSHIP.

We must know who we are in Christ when we worship! If we have repented, we are no longer that man or woman who we once was. He has forgiven you! “Our sins are as far as from the east is from the west.” Psalms 103:12

That’s why we can come into His presence boldly!

HEBREWS 4:16 “LET US THEREFORE COME BOLDLY TO THE THRONE OF GRACE, THAT WE MAY OBTAIN MERCY AND FIND GRACE TO HELP IN TIME OF NEED.”

THIS WOMAN WHO COULDV’E HAD A HORRIBLE PAST, LABELED IN SOCIETY AS AN OUTSIDER, TALKED ABOUT, MOCKED AT, POINTED AT BUT SHE CAME BOLDLY. SHE WASN’T THINKING THAT HER PAST WAS TOO BAD.

When we worship the Lord He Doesn’t see who we used to be, He sees our position in Christ.

Let’s look at verse 4 “There were some who said to themselves indignantly, “Why was the ointment wasted like that?

THIS WOMAN WHO IS SEEN POURING HER MOST VALUABLE POSSESSION ON JESUS HEAD GETS MOCKED BY THE VALUE OF THE PERFUME, THEY WERE MORE WORRIED ABOUT THEIR POSITION IN SOCIETY MORE THAN THEIR POSITION IN CHRIST. WHILE GIVING MONEY TO THE CHURCH AND TITHING IS BIBLICAL OR GIVING TO THE NEEDY; IT’S ONLY IF WE ARE “IN CHRIST” THAT MATTERS.

They were more worried about their position in society more than their position in Christ.

ONCE THE VESSEL THAT HELD THE OINTMENT WAS BROKEN, THERE WAS NO STOPPING THE FLOW OF THE OIL, IT HAD TO BE USED AT ONCE. 

How many times have we grieved Holy Spirit by not giving our all to Him in worship?

PRAYER: Lord, bring us back to the heart of worship, let us give you our all and not to hold back. Let us realize the authority, the power & our position in You when we worship. Amen

How Worship Wins the Battle

Part 1: Choosing to Worship

The battle of Jericho, Paul & Silas in prison and the story of Jehoshaphat. We read many times in the Bible when worship won the battle and it still is the key today in our lives.

We must realize that when we have battles they are of the Lord’s not ours. But our purpose is to worship!

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How worship wins the battle:

  1. We must choose to worship (Part 1)
  2. It re-directs our focus (Part 2)
  3. Worship makes the enemy scatter (Part 3)

2 CHRONICLES 20:1-6

20 It happened after this that the people of Moab with the people of Ammon, and others with them besides the Ammonites,came to battle against Jehoshaphat. 2 Then some came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, “A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, from Syria; and they are in Hazazon Tamar” (which is En Gedi). 3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. 4 So Judah gathered together to ask help from the Lord; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord.

– Jehoshaphat didn’t seek a board meeting.

– He didn’t ask his advisors what he should do.

– He didn’t let his feelings of fear disrupt his choice to worship.

BUT he invited everyone to ask help from the Lord.

When believers are united with

  • one mind
  • one accord
  • one passion
  • one will
  • one heart
  • one agenda
  • one mission, under one name under Heaven.

SOMETHING IS GOING TO HAPPEN!

WE MUST CHOOSE TO WORSHIP!

  1. WORSHIP IS A CHOICE

WORSHIP IS NOT A FEELING, IT IS NOT AN EMOTION. IT IS A CHOICE.

3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord,

When we’re feeling overwhelmed by our circumstances, the last thing we may feel like doing is praising God. But it’s the first thing we should do.

PROVERBS 3:5

“Trust in the lord with all your heart, and do not Lean not on your own understanding but in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make straight your paths.”

One way to acknowledge him is to worship him. We may not understand what His plan is at the moment, but He is still worthy of praise. Choos to Worship!

All Things New Part 4

PART 4

With us wrapping up this series of “All Things New” we had 3 different highlights of how:

Part 1 — “God Loves Doing New Things” 

Part 2 — “Grace Makes Room for the New”

Part 3 — “ Growing in Christ”

Part 4 — “No More Idols”

Today in our last part of the series I would like to ask ourselves how do we maintain this “newness” of life and to sustain it. What are some points that we can ask ourselves?

One thing that will keep our hearts soft and receptacle of the Spirit are to have no idols. 

Jesus spoke in Matthew 22” …“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”

And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”

That’s why we cant serve God and another god.

Matthew 6

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”

ANYTHING THAT TAKES PLACE THAT ONLY GOD SHOULD HAVE IN OUR HEARTS IS AN IDOL.

REMEMBER:

WHAT WE BUILD WE CANNOT SUSTAIN

WHAT GOD BUILDS HE WILL SUSTAIN

Israel tried to serve other idols and God but found out that it cannot work that way.

1 SAMUEL 7:2-3

2 So it was that the ark remained in Kirjath Jearim a long time; it was there twenty years. And all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord.

“THEY HAD THE ARK BUT NOT HIS PRESENCE” THEY CRIED OUT TO GOD FOR 20 YEARS UNTIL GOD SENT SAMUEL TO LEAD THEM. 

3 Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “If you return to the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths from among you, and prepare your hearts for the Lord, and serve Him only; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.” 4 So the children of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtoreths, and served the Lord only.

REFLECT//

  1. RETURN TO GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART — HE WANTS OUR HEARTS FIRST.
  2. PUT AWAY ALL STRANGE GODS — IT TOOK ISRAEL MORE THAN TWENTY YEARS AFTER LOSING THE ARK TO REALIZE THIS.
  3. PREPARE YOUR HEART FOR THE LORD.
  4. SERVE HIM ONLY.
  5. HE WILL DELIVER. — WE ARE POWERLESS WITHOUT HIM, HE IS FOR US AND NOT AGAINST US.

RESPOND//

WHATS A FOREIGN IDOL WE’VE BEEN CARRYING AROUND THATS CAUSING US TROUBLE OR TO WORRY, IS IT A SUBCONSCIOUS OBSESSION TO PLEASE EVERYONE EXCEPT GOD? 

Come Boldly

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Luke 7: 36-38

And one of the Pharisees desired Him that He would eat with him. And He went into the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to meat. And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee’s house brought an alabaster box of ointment and stood at His feet behind Him weeping and began to wash His feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hair of her head, and kissed His feet, and anointed them with the ointment…”

When I read this story I think of this woman who has never met this man, but has seen Him perform many miracles throughout her land. Maybe she was part of the crowd who followed Him? No one knows but what we do know is that she was wanting a change in her life. The life that she was living was profitable but not for her soul, she wasn’t satisfied, she was longing for something or someone who could give her that change.

Many people say she walked in the room out of courage, but I believe she walked in the room out of love. It wouldn’t be easy walking into a room of a stranger’s home and start anointing the feet of a man. But she didn’t care. She didn’t let the crowds of people who once got word that he was in a certain house keep her away.  She didn’t let the people who were at the table afraid of embarrassment once she walked in the room. She kept her focus on Jesus, on the One who could give her that change, the forgiveness that she knew she needed.

Hebrews 10:19

“Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence [boldness] to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus.

 

This woman had no fear to walk right into the room where He was at, how are we approaching Him in our worship? in our prayer time?

What are we focusing on?

Are we boldly entering into His presence?

 

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