Why Worship Works (Part 4)
[ Preached by Pastor Kenneth Chin at Acts Church Malaysia on 26 April 2020 ]
This message was pre-recorded as an online worship service during the Movement Control Order issued by the government to curb the spread of the COVID-19.
I have previously shared nine points on this series – “Why Worship Works”. Today, it’s another three points of deeper insight and understanding on worship.
The entire church service, as even the whole of life, must be a worship.
We often perceive worship as a part or portion of a church service where it’s all about the songs. However, worship is not just a song or action; and worship is definitely not just a portion of a church service.
Every part of the church service is worship – the Word is worship, the tithes and offering is also worship. Not only that, coming early and dressing our best for church service is also another form of worship.
As long as we give God our best, it is a form of worship unto the Lord.
So what is worship? Worship is about our whole lives. Yes, even our jobs can be a worship. When we perform well in our workplaces, we give glory to God.
Read | Romans 12:1
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
When we worship God, we present our bodies unto God, which is set apart and acceptable to Him. We do all things unto the Lord and we live the Word every single day as a worship unto the Lord. When we go to work early, live righteously, and perform well – it is to please God.
As long as we give God our best, it is a form of worship unto the Lord.
You know you’ve truly worship when worship continues long after the service is done.
There are times when worship lingers with you because you have learnt to linger in worship! When we experience true worship, worship goes with us! Have you ever felt that?
Because we learnt to linger in God’s presence and go deeper into God, worship comes home with us – it lingers with us. And then we have that unexplainable peace and joy in us – as well as the desire to continue praising and worshipping God.
Read | Exodus 33:11
The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent.
Joshua did not depart from the tabernacle and lingered on. In another passage, we found Mary lingered too.
Read | John 20:11-16
verse 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?”
When John and Peter had left the tomb, Mary stayed outside by the tomb weeping and as she wept, she stooped down and looked into the tomb. Her decision to do so was probably because she hoped to know more.
Some of us are like that after a church service – we just dig deeper into the Lord and try to find out whether there’s anything more to see and to know.
There are times when worship lingers with you because you have learnt to linger in worship!
As Mary lingered on, she saw two angels. After answering the angels, she saw Jesus but did not know it was Jesus until He called her name. Jesus only had to say her name and Mary knew immediately it was Jesus who spoke to her.
Sometimes after a church service is over, as the worship lingers with us and we head home, it just gets personal between God and ourselves, doesn’t it?
True worship doesn’t end when a church service ends. True worship takes you to a place where it becomes truly personal – and with no one else looking.
Aside from Joshua and Mary, David lingered as well. David was a man who knew how to be alone with God. He could be on his bed but still praising the Lord. He was a man who knew what it was to be in the presence of God.
You know you’ve truly worship when you’ve asked for nothing but instead, you’ve given to God.
Although there’s nothing wrong with asking from God (and He loves to hear our prayers and petitions), worship is not just about us asking what we need from God.
True worship is about giving. I believe that God also gets blessed when His people come to Him with true worship – not to get or take, but to give.
Read | Genesis 22:1-5
verse 5 … the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.
This was where the first mention of the word “worship” was used. It describes the story of Abraham sacrificing his son Isaac. Even in this context, when Abraham worshipped, he did not ask but instead give or sacrifice his only son.
Read | 2 Samuel 24:22-25
verse 24 … No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price; nor will I offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God with that which costs me nothing.
When David worshipped, he also gave. David knew that true worship was not just about getting things for free but giving our best to God.
I want to encourage all of us that worship could be the only time when you don’t get or take but instead, you give unto the Lord. Let’s learn to worship God in this manner!
#decadeoflegacy2030
Written by Wilson Ho
Edited by Hailey Chung
