The Importance of Worship cannot be underemphasized; for through it the appropriate response of rational creatures to the self-revelation of God is being expressed.
It is the process of referencing and exalting God by returning all the glory, honour, blessings, power, riches etc. back to Him.
Worship; the one essential condition of human existence, which is that, man should always be able to bow down before something infinitely great… Fyodor Dostoyevski
In worship can the essence of man be fulfilled. To say otherwise is to say the scripture is not true.
...For Thou has created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created. Revelation 4:11
Acceptable worship in essence is therefore a worship experience that is born out of deep reference and acute desire for God and the things of God.
A worship experience that is spirit inspired and spirit filled John 4:24. John 4:22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship:.. Acceptable worship is the kind that is born out of revelation knowledge of the divine God.
Most importantly, acceptable worship is the kind that God takes delight in, inhabits and in turn blesses His people.
Most importantly, acceptable worship is the kind that God takes delight in, inhabits and in turn blesses His people.
“Worship is the exaltation of God”
“BE THOU EXALTED”
The language of a victorious spiritual experience, the continuous sweet song proceeding from the heart of an enraptured soul.
An enraptured soul; a soul that is always filled with great delight and joy divine, when it comes to the worship of the living God.
A soul whose all and all is all about God, put together a host of other things and God would take preeminence.
O that the living on earth will come to understand as they in heaven have, in their multitudes, the beauty of worship; the exaltation of God. For the Angelic beings in their multitudes day and night cannot but always bow down before the Father of Glory, with their hands and their heart raised in deep and referential worship of the exalted and divine God.
The scripture bears the record of this remarkable beauty of worship by the angelic being and other hosts of heaven when it says:
“Revelation 7:11-12 And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.
For this I see no reason why the son of the morning (the devil) would not indeed desires the position of God.
Of course I believe because of the tremendous accolades accorded to God; an empty jealousy and pride that led to his downfall.
Isaiah 14:13-14 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
Now the very question that comes to mind is; if the son of the morning (the devil) could not achieve his aim in Heaven, has he not on earth or perhaps in the heart of men?
SEE ALSO:
The fourth man in the fire: two important factors that led to the Hebrew men's Victory.
CANNOT BE LOST IN THE CROWD
THE THRONE OF GOD
2 Corinthian 6:16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
God dwells in us by the virtue of His Holy Spirit; through the Holy Spirit can acceptable worship be rendered to God.
However these days entirely, the sense of possessing in everyman, that is, willingness to always want more, acquire more, has in one way or the other forced God out of His temple (Central Shrine) that is within the heart of men.
Hence, what we see is shallow worship experience, the joy divine and happiness of heart that often follows sincere worship experience fallen short, decline exaltation of God, the worship experience that is not inspired or born out of revelational knowledge and deep reference to the living God.
For this great dilemma would I blame no man neither would I conclude that the devil has totally claimed preeminence in the heart of men; but these things have I seen; a moral dislocation and decline in worship experience of which I would blame these:
5 Acts That Hinders Believers Worship Experience
1. TYRANT THINGS
A.W. Tozer rightly put it when he says "There is within the human heart a tough, fibrous root of fallen life whose nature is to possess, always to possess.
It covets things with a deep and fierce passion. The pronouns my and mine look innocent enough in print, but their constant and universal use is significant.
Things has become of great importance to man, rather than the peace therein in having God.
God is no longer God to man, neither is He crowned, nor having dominion in the heart of man.
This is because things have led man into idolatry through putting confidence in his achievements, wealth, fame etc., rather than in God.
Take for instance an average yet intellectual man, before him, place a host of things and let him be forced to make a choice between God and money, God and men, God and human love, God and personal ambition, God and self, and God will take the second place every time. Those other things will be exalted above. ~ A.W Tozer
And that’s the relation of things in man’s heart as opposed to God. This is a call for us to break our course with the desires for the things of the world and embrace God, for the world of fallen men does not honour God.
"For yee cannot serve two masters" says our Lord Jesus Christ.
2. WRONG IDEA ABOUT GOD
Paul wrote, When they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
Wrong ideas about God are not only the fountain from which polluted worship experience flows, they are themselves idolatry.
According to A. W TOZER, the essence of idolatry is the entertainment of thoughts about God that are unworthy of Him.
It begins in the mind a d may be present where no overt act of worship has taken place.
Take for instance, saying Gods power is like the thunder, Saying God is a fire that burns the enemy, etc.
Conceiving God the creator in the likeness of its creatures are but shallow knowledge or ideas that can go a long way to hinder sincere worship experience.
3. SINS AND CONSCIOUSNESS OF SINS
Jeremiah 5:25 Your iniquities have turned away these [things], and your sins have withholden good [things] from you.
Of course, sincere or true worship cannot be offered when we harbour sins in our hearts. For God cannot behold iniquities. Habakkuk 1:13.
One thing is being forgiven of our sins, by the sprinkling blood of Jesus Christ; For we have been forgiven 1 John 2:12, but another thing is to go about bearing in our hearts the guilt or conscience of sins.
Hebrews 10:22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.
4. LACK OF SPIRITUAL PERCEPTION
Whenever they felt inward longing as to worship God anywhere anytime, they always do something about it.
And that's what makes a different between the saints of old, and an ordinary worshiper whose only time of worship is on Sunday's alone.
John 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
Take together a host of intellectuals, and men who by their reasons and senses can decide from good and evil to the place of worship, I tell you the truth, the experience and the atmosphere of the day would be as shallow and silent as the grave.
For the flesh profiteth nothing in the place of worship. An acceptable worship is spirit inspired and filled.
The experience of Joseph in the scriptures excites me; he wasn't conscious of the fact that God's presence was where he layed his head. In his words: surely the Lord is in this place and I knew it not.. Genesis 28:16. His perception of God's presence made him to later built an alter of worship.
Such is the kind of problem that hinders a true worship experience this days; for we are not often conscious of the divine presence,. Whereas the truth is, God is here, and everywhere.
And there is not a place that sweet and sincere worship cannot be raised unto God.
Where two or more people gathers... Says Jesus in my name, i am there.
5. Comedy Goes to church, and a host of other things like buying and selling which i have addressed here; Five Hideous Profanations that has crept into the church.
The truth is, these things hinders acceptability of worship in a greater deal than we could ever imagine.
Conclusively
Worship is the highest and noblest act that any person can do. When men worship, God is satisfied! And when you worship you are fulfilled ~Raymond C. Ortlund.
This is therefore a call unto believers to at all cost rid themselves of various acts that hinders acceptance of worship experience.