[paat]

Hey everyone,
It's been a while since i've written anything like this...in fact, what i'm posting now is more of an article than a devotional. But it has lots for us to think about when we come to worship God. Hope you enjoy! God bless

The Passionate Worshiper

Worship has become an industry. Bands and artists are pumping out
song after song, generating chart topping hits with songs that are
"supposed" to be for glorifying God. Some songs are being recorded by
other artists before the songwriter even gets the chance to take it to
the studio! Sure there is a necessity for fresh worship music, but is
it coming at the expense of passionate worship?

Where is the heart of worship we have sung about so often? Where
have we missed the boat? I think the answer lies in Revelation 3, in
Jesus' letter to Laodicea. Take a minute and read Revelation 3:14-22.

When you read that, does it not sound a heck of a lot like today's
churches?!? All over the continent people are singing songs of
"praise and adoration" to our God of love who is so great and kind and
loving...but are we worshiping? Jesus says that he bases his
judgement on a church based on their deeds (Rev 3:15). It is based on
the Laodicean church's actions that Jesus makes his comment "I am
about to spit you out" (vs. 16). Better translated as "I am about to
vomit you out" or, "you make me sick," Jesus obviously has no
tolerance for a church without passion. This church was going to
church regularly, but they were not living. They were not dependent
on God (vs. 17).

When was the last time our churches were hungry for God? So hungry
that nothing we could do could satisfy our hunger, but only God could
fill the void? Have we, in the last several centuries, experienced a
lack of worship songs? Have we ever had a service where in our minds
we were thinking "oh man, I hope someone writes a new song REAL
soon...we're running out!" I think we are depending less and less on
God to produce God-honouring songs as it becomes easier and easier to
create and produce the songs.

What will be the solution to our lethargic lives? 2 Chronicles 7:14
gives us a hint. "If my people, who are called by my name, will
humble themselves and pray and seek my face, then I will hear from
heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." As the
church, we need to be humbling ourselves, no longer accepting worship
that comes from our own hands, but that which God has breathed
divinely into us. We are told in Exodus not to come to God empty
handed, but it is also important that we realize God is not only the
recipient, but the provider of our offering.

Written by: Pat Dryburgh

[FaithThroughAll]

awesome point i totally agree!

[eMerge]

Hey, thanks for that. The college group at my church has started a worship band for a new service for teens and college age students, and our first service is tomorrow, I'm definately going to share this with the rest of our band.
God Bless!

[paat]

Originally Posted by eMerge

Hey, thanks for that. The college group at my church has started a worship band for a new service for teens and college age students, and our first service is tomorrow, I'm definately going to share this with the rest of our band.
God Bless!

hey man, that sounds great. let me know how that goes!

Pat D

[Devoted1]

What a wonderful perspective. I really appreciate what you shared. I also agree that our worship has lost its true intended focus in the church today. We are way too caught up in the "act of worship" instead of worshipping God Himself. Songs and music are great, but our true worship comes from our relationship personally with the Creator, not from our singing songs to Him. Singing songs and playing music is just an expression of our love and desire to serve Him.

[Breakaway]

I agree with Paat 100% We have lost true worship in our Churches.

That is why my Friends and I have started a band to try and bring Real worship back. We are a bunch of 15 and 16 yr olds who don't plan on making it big. All we want to do is reach out in our area, and give kids, our age, and younger (Grds 6,7, and 8's) a place where they can meet God.

We have played our first Concert at our Church for a Valentines Concert. It was like a talent show and mainly only adults came but everyone liked the music! We hope to play a gig (Concert) on our own in the Parish hall of our Church mainly for youth!

If anyone has any suggestions as to how to get kids interested in Worship please let me know.

God Bless
Steve Band: "Breakaway"

Oh And Emerge Keep up with your Worship Band!

[FilltheEarth]

Originally Posted by paat

Hey everyone,
It's been a while since i've written anything like this...in fact, what i'm posting now is more of an article than a devotional. But it has lots for us to think about when we come to worship God. Hope you enjoy! God bless

The Passionate Worshiper

Worship has become an industry. Bands and artists are pumping out
song after song, generating chart topping hits with songs that are
"supposed" to be for glorifying God. Some songs are being recorded by
other artists before the songwriter even gets the chance to take it to
the studio! Sure there is a necessity for fresh worship music, but is
it coming at the expense of passionate worship?

Where is the heart of worship we have sung about so often? Where
have we missed the boat? I think the answer lies in Revelation 3, in
Jesus' letter to Laodicea. Take a minute and read Revelation 3:14-22.

When you read that, does it not sound a heck of a lot like today's
churches?!? All over the continent people are singing songs of
"praise and adoration" to our God of love who is so great and kind and
loving...but are we worshiping? Jesus says that he bases his
judgement on a church based on their deeds (Rev 3:15). It is based on
the Laodicean church's actions that Jesus makes his comment "I am
about to spit you out" (vs. 16). Better translated as "I am about to
vomit you out" or, "you make me sick," Jesus obviously has no
tolerance for a church without passion. This church was going to
church regularly, but they were not living. They were not dependent
on God (vs. 17).

When was the last time our churches were hungry for God? So hungry
that nothing we could do could satisfy our hunger, but only God could
fill the void? Have we, in the last several centuries, experienced a
lack of worship songs? Have we ever had a service where in our minds
we were thinking "oh man, I hope someone writes a new song REAL
soon...we're running out!" I think we are depending less and less on
God to produce God-honouring songs as it becomes easier and easier to
create and produce the songs.

What will be the solution to our lethargic lives? 2 Chronicles 7:14
gives us a hint. "If my people, who are called by my name, will
humble themselves and pray and seek my face, then I will hear from
heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." As the
church, we need to be humbling ourselves, no longer accepting worship
that comes from our own hands, but that which God has breathed
divinely into us. We are told in Exodus not to come to God empty
handed, but it is also important that we realize God is not only the
recipient, but the provider of our offering.

Written by: Pat Dryburgh

Dude, you should visit the international house of prayer in Kansas City. They talk about this sort of stuff all the time. Or the JHOP in Washington DC.

Heather

[paat]

Hey

Wow...I cannot believe people are still reading this! Haha! Sweet!

Anyways, I would love to visit. Unfortunately, at this point, I am living in Canada, and don't really have any way to visit either of those places.

Are you from Kansas? If so, and you get 97.7 kfex, then you might be able to listen to my music!

Anyways, I think as a church we need to start focusing more on community worship. Have our worship leaders right songs, or have people write songs for the church to sing. Not every song needs to be recorded, and not every song needs to be on the radio. I shouldn't have to go to the latest "WOW-Worship" cd to find out what is impacting churches today. I should be able to walk into a church and hear different songs sung from different experiences. That is what I long for.

Pat D

[thinxtoomuch]

This is a great devotional, thank's for taking the time to post it.

I completely agree that the church needs to be thirsty again; we need to come with the desire to worship with Caedmon's heart.

[Breakaway]

Hello again I looked up a few verses from the New Testement that talk a little about this:

Colossians 3:16

Let the words of christ live in your hearts and make you wise. Use his words to teach and councel each other. Sing spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.

Hebrews 12:28

Since we are recieving a kingdom that cannot be destroyed. Let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with awe. For our God is a consuming fire!

[Godseeker91]

Wow, so true!

As a musician we forget the real purpose of our ministry...to worship our Lord and savior Jesus Christ! We tend to strive to play a new song, perfectly with all kinds of solos, breaks and key changes, but as we play the song the presence and essence of God is not in the room and it's meaningless. My hearts desire is to play old or new songs, but with passion and letting the presence of God take over us and the church to feel his presence and at every moment being dependent on God not our own individual talent and ego. Thank you Lord.

[HermionePower]

I totally agree! We forget what worship really is about so often.

[LabyrinthChick]

It doesn't matter if they worship with all of their heart or not. That is for God to sort out. We need to focus on those who don't worship at all or have never heard the good news of Jesus.