Can you serve a god you do not worship?
Worship is an appropriate and reverent response to the identity of its recipient, to the extent that one receives one's own sense of value and meaning from the object of worship. In other words, to worship is to ascribe ultimate worth or value to something or someone, such that its existence alone affects your sense of self. Let us be clear; to love someone is not to worship that person. Giving people awards or recognition is not the same as worship. We worship when we consider that person or thing to be more valuable than any other person or thing in our lives. Worship is reserved for the highest place of honor. We can worship anyone or anything, if we give that person or thing the highest place of honor in our lives.
What/Whom can we worship? Anything.
Some people worship their possessions.
Some people worship other people.
Some people worship angels or demons.
What/Whom should we worship? That's the question.
Worship that which/who possesses:
1. Ultimate value (hence also a greater value than you possess).
2. Value that does not depend on you.
3. Value that lasts forever.
4. The tolerance to be worshipped.
5. The innate capacity to be worshipped.
And what does worship look like? Not any 'super worship' or anything, though; just, you know, reasonable.
Romans 12:1 - I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. (Yeah, King James!)
5 keys to reasonable service:
1. You present your body
This is not about being dragged into submission to God by some pastor or overzealous family member. You must bring yourself into the presence of God and under the scrutiny of the Almighty.
2. LIVING sacrifice
Most sacrifice I hear about are...dead. You, on the other hand, are not called to give up life in order to worship God. You must undergo the refining fire of the Lord's holiness, which purifies you.
3. Living SACRIFICE
One trait of being sacrificed sticks out in my mind like a, well, sore thumb; it hurts! There is pain involved, which means that what you give up to follow our Father God have great value to you. Sacrifices are also consumed as they are offered. There can be no part of you that you hold away from the King's transforming work.
4. Holy
Set apart. This does not mean that God takes you out of the world right away, but rather that you become set aside for his special use. Hanani told it to Asa in 2 Chronicles 16:9a - For the eyes of Jehovah run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. God's purposes, and no one else's.
5. Acceptable unto God
Not all gods, made or Maker, have the same sacrificial standards concerning offerings. Find out how to please the true God, and stay in that way. Do not deviate because of either doubt or disobedience. Narrow is the road that leads to eternal life.
These five are your reasonable service. The Greek says "την λογικην λατρειαν υμων" in the Greek, which translates to "your logical worship." The five elements, then, constitute worship to God that is logical. It stands to reason that a lack in any one or combination thereof, equals, simply, illogical worship. See how heavy worship is!!
But the Lord is gracious. He allows us to grow into proper worship, so that we might have all the more reason to praise.
You're all together lovely; altogether worthy; altogether wonderful to me. Grant that we might worship in spirit and in truth, O God!
Worship is an appropriate and reverent response to the identity of its recipient, to the extent that one receives one's own sense of value and meaning from the object of worship. In other words, to worship is to ascribe ultimate worth or value to something or someone, such that its existence alone affects your sense of self. Let us be clear; to love someone is not to worship that person. Giving people awards or recognition is not the same as worship. We worship when we consider that person or thing to be more valuable than any other person or thing in our lives. Worship is reserved for the highest place of honor. We can worship anyone or anything, if we give that person or thing the highest place of honor in our lives.
What/Whom can we worship? Anything.
Some people worship their possessions.
Some people worship other people.
Some people worship angels or demons.
What/Whom should we worship? That's the question.
Worship that which/who possesses:
1. Ultimate value (hence also a greater value than you possess).
2. Value that does not depend on you.
3. Value that lasts forever.
4. The tolerance to be worshipped.
5. The innate capacity to be worshipped.
And what does worship look like? Not any 'super worship' or anything, though; just, you know, reasonable.
Romans 12:1 - I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. (Yeah, King James!)
5 keys to reasonable service:
1. You present your body
This is not about being dragged into submission to God by some pastor or overzealous family member. You must bring yourself into the presence of God and under the scrutiny of the Almighty.
2. LIVING sacrifice
Most sacrifice I hear about are...dead. You, on the other hand, are not called to give up life in order to worship God. You must undergo the refining fire of the Lord's holiness, which purifies you.
3. Living SACRIFICE
One trait of being sacrificed sticks out in my mind like a, well, sore thumb; it hurts! There is pain involved, which means that what you give up to follow our Father God have great value to you. Sacrifices are also consumed as they are offered. There can be no part of you that you hold away from the King's transforming work.
4. Holy
Set apart. This does not mean that God takes you out of the world right away, but rather that you become set aside for his special use. Hanani told it to Asa in 2 Chronicles 16:9a - For the eyes of Jehovah run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. God's purposes, and no one else's.
5. Acceptable unto God
Not all gods, made or Maker, have the same sacrificial standards concerning offerings. Find out how to please the true God, and stay in that way. Do not deviate because of either doubt or disobedience. Narrow is the road that leads to eternal life.
These five are your reasonable service. The Greek says "την λογικην λατρειαν υμων" in the Greek, which translates to "your logical worship." The five elements, then, constitute worship to God that is logical. It stands to reason that a lack in any one or combination thereof, equals, simply, illogical worship. See how heavy worship is!!
But the Lord is gracious. He allows us to grow into proper worship, so that we might have all the more reason to praise.
You're all together lovely; altogether worthy; altogether wonderful to me. Grant that we might worship in spirit and in truth, O God!
posted from Bloggeroid
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