Unlocking the Heavens: Release the Supernatural Power of Your Worship (5 page)

He cut down the groves.

He broke in pieces the brazen serpent of Moses.

The people at this time were steeped in idol worship, and yet it is interesting to note that some of the things Hezekiah destroyed were
not
dedicated to idols, but rather to the worship of God. The brazen serpent of Moses had been fashioned according to the instruction of God for the healing of the people of Israel after they were bitten by serpents (see Numbers 21). This was a God-ordained, sacred object, so why would he destroy it? For the simple reason that the people had made it into an idol. They had started offering incense to something that God had once used, but they were not really looking to God Himself. Anytime our worshipful attention gets directed toward an object, a methodology, or a place instead of God, it becomes idolatry.

Several years ago, I was trying to help a church that was experiencing a split. The conflict had started because they were renovating the sanctuary to accommodate more growth. A certain group within the church was against the renovation project because it altered their “sacred” sanctuary. In prayer, I was rebuking the devil of division in this church when the Lord interrupted me: “This isn’t the work of the devil; this is Me.”

I said, “Lord, I don’t understand. How can this be Your work?”

He replied, “This group of people has made this place more important than Me. It must be destroyed or others will be swept into their idolatry. Sometimes I have to pull down and destroy so that I can build.”

Please do not misunderstand; I strongly believe in the importance of corporate gatherings in houses of worship. I love the local church—I am a pastor! Clearly, however, we have to avoid the belief that
church
means a place, a building. We are the Lord’s body, and we carry His presence everywhere we go. True worshippers enjoy the presence of God in their home, at work, or on vacation.

When King David desired to build God a house, God told him, “I never told you to build me a house (paraphrased from 2 Samuel 7:4-12). Then God promised David, “I will build
you
a house…” (see verse 27). In essence, God was saying to David, “I don’t want a place in which to dwell. I am looking for a people in whom to dwell.” Jesus stated this same principle to the Samaritan woman when He told her, “Believe me, woman. The time is coming when neither in Jerusalem nor on this mountain will you actually worship the Father” (John 4:21 NCV).

FALLACY NUMBER TWO: YOU MUST WORSHIP IN THE RIGHT WAY

To the woman’s understanding, Jesus’ response was based on a similar false assumption. He said, “You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews” (John 4:21-22). Her concept of true worship was based on her cultural understanding. She knew that Jews worship one way and that Samaritans worship another. Her form of worship seemed best to her because it was all she knew.

How many worship wars are started over the issue of style? What is the most anointed style of worship, Southern Gospel or Contemporary? How many times do we hear statements such as, “I wish we had the old red-backed hymnals back,” or “When are we going to start putting the lyrics up on a screen?” I had just started pastoring when churches first discovered the overhead projector. My parishioners felt I had committed the unpardonable sin when I removed the hymnals so we could sing from overheads. Sometimes worship wars are frivolous!

“Worship is not about the song that you sing, but the heart that you bring!” It has been my good fortune to travel the world preaching the Gospel. I have ministered in the remotest parts of Africa where pots, pans, and drums were the only musical instruments available. That’s where I have heard some of the most anointed worship in the world. Those people are not preoccupied with equipment, lights, or styles. They are preoccupied with Jesus. During my most recent trip to Nigeria, the worship was so anointed that hundreds of people manifesting demons were delivered—through the power of worship alone. They did not have hymnals or projectors and screens, high-quality musical instruments or trained vocalists. They were just people bringing to God their hearts of worship.

Worship transcends style. When we get to Heaven, we will see every style of worship because we will see every tribe, tongue, kindred, and nation in full demonstration around the throne. It is foolish to expect everyone to abandon his or her cultural style in favor of the red-backed hymnal. If you are offended to think that your favorite worship style is being threatened, it could be that God is trying to give you a secret from the well of worship. I happen to love Southern Gospel music above all other types (and I am convinced that God loves it too). However, in my church we sing mostly contemporary songs. Why? We decided to use the style of music that inspires this current generation to worship. Real, biblical worship is the blending of many styles; “psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs” (Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16).

FALLACY NUMBER THREE: GOD WANTS OUR WORSHIP

How can this be a fallacy? Of course God wants our worship…doesn’t He? At the risk of sounding sacrilegious, I must tell you that in fact, God is not the least bit interested in our worship. Let me explain.

Look at Jesus’ statement to the Samaritan woman: “the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him” (John 4:23). Jesus has already shown her that worship is not about place or style. Now He deals with worship itself. He knows that people believe God wants our worship. Here is the truth: God is not looking for worship; He is looking for
worshippers!

Worship is something that you do, but a worshipper is who you are. Worship is an act, but being a worshipper is a lifestyle. That’s why worship does not take place only on certain days and according to certain rituals. The heart of worship should be churning within us continuously. “Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name” (Hebrews 13:15).

Worship is an issue of the spirit. “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24 KJV). Real worship is more than an act; it is a connecting of spirits. In fact, God is not at all pleased when we perform the act of worship apart from a life of worship. The prophet Samuel rebuked Saul, saying, “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obedience to the voice of the Lord? Surely, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams” (1 Samuel 15:22 NRSV).

The Bible tells us that God is always looking for true worshippers: “For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the entire earth, to strengthen those whose heart is true to him” (2 Chronicles 16:9 NRSV). Are you one of those people? Are you a true worshipper, or are you someone who just goes through the motions of worship on Sundays? What can you do to become a true worshipper? How can we grow out of our faulty assumptions about worship? How can we respond to the Lord’s love? What does it mean to spend time with Him? Too many of us are like the Samaritan woman; we worship, but we do not know the One we are worshipping.

Jesus has just stopped by to teach us the secrets of the well of worship. Let’s spend some time with Him.

Chapter 5

A SONG IN THE NIGHT

Because of the multitude of oppressions they cry out; they cry out for help because of the arm of the mighty. But no one says, “Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night?
(J
OB
35:9-10)

T
heology (the study of God) used to be called the Queen of Sciences because it deals with the most important knowledge of all—the knowledge of God. Theology is important, yet it is the most difficult kind of science because in many ways theologians are trying to explain what is unknowable. The Bible says, “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!” (Romans 11:33).

On the other hand, although God is unknowable, He has revealed Himself in many ways. The most basic way we can see Him is in His creation. We are familiar with the words of the Bible: “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof” (Psalm 24:1 KJV). “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork” (Psalm 19:1). Every star in the sky is pointing people to God so they can know Him more.

In addition, God has revealed Himself in Providence. What do I mean by that? I mean that everybody’s heart tells them that there’s something beyond them. Something out there seems to be controlling and orchestrating this thing that we call life. Call it Providence. It means that God is involved in the world that we live in. Providence tugs upon the human heart to keep looking for a God whom it might not even know yet.

In fact, I believe that God has inscribed eternity upon every heart. A number of years ago, a missionary wrote a book entitled
Eternity in Their Hearts
. Everywhere he would travel in the world, he would tell the story of God the Father sending Jesus, His Son, to the earth to die for the sins of humanity and then how He was raised and sits at the heavenly Father’s right hand, and how Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to earth to help people. This missionary reported that every time he would tell the story, without exception and in every culture, his listeners would say, “Oh yeah, we know who He is.” They wouldn’t necessarily call Him by the name of Jesus. but they would show him something that honored the Son of God. For instance, they would show him a totem pole with an inscription that represented God the Father, and then another set of inscriptions that represented His Son and the Spirit of that God. This missionary wrote that God seems to have inscribed eternity in the human heart. (Not that this means all people are saved. No one can be saved unless they have given their lives to Jesus.) I think we can agree that everyone knows there’s something bigger out there, even if we don’t know His name. Sometimes we call it the God-sized hole in the human heart.

God has also revealed Himself in the commentaries of history. In every culture we can see how God’s hand has been working in the affairs of human history orchestrating a progressive direction for civilization. Of course, God reveals Himself through the pages of His Divine Word.

When you open it, the words jump off the pages and they tell you about God. He remains unknowable; but even so, He reveals Himself in particular through His Son, Jesus Christ, who said, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9 NRSV).

HIS WAYS ARE FAR ABOVE OUR WAYS

So we find ourselves in a contradictory position: we seek a God who wants to make Himself known to us; and, yet, He is One who will always remain unknowable—too big for us to understand. So many things will always remain beyond our full comprehension.

Take the Trinity, for example: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit who are three distinct Persons, yet one. We are familiar with the attempts to explain this. “Well, He’s like water, which can be a liquid, a frozen solid, and a vapor. Its three distinct forms.” Or, “He’s like an egg, with the shell, the white and the yoke. All three of them make up one egg.” These are just fallible human attempts to understand an eternal God who cannot be explained.