In Part 1 of our series on “True worship”, it was emphasized that WHO you choose to worship DOES matter. True worship does not exist apart from the true God. Part 2 examined the bringing of gifts to the altar and the posture of a true worshiper. This week we will spend a bit more time examining the state of a true worshiper’s mind and heart during worship. When we enter the sanctuary of God, we must always remember to do so with great reverence, but also great enthusiasm! We should exclaim with the Psalmist: “I was glad when they said to me, let us go into the house of the Lord!”
We are reminded of the words of Jesus when he admonished the moneychangers in the temple, saying: “My house is the house of prayer, but you have turned it into a den of thieves!” (Luk 19:46) Today, He could well say to us: “My house is a house of prayer for all nations, but you have turned it into a social club!” God’s sanctuary is not the place to catch up on the latest gossip. Rather, it is a place where we ought to give Him our most precious gift of all. Rom 12:1 describes this as surrendering yourself to God as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to Him. God wants your heart, not your money! Although tithing is an important part of worship, a heart surrendered and totally yielded to Him is what He requires. When your heart is surrendered to God, your body will always stand ready to serve Him with great enthusiasm, respect and love. Your duties in the sanctuary will no longer seem a chore, but a precious gift of love evidenced through devoted and committed service. Service without being asked-first time, on time, every time! A soldier is always to be in a state of readiness for battle – so it must be with the soldiers of the Cross! Our minds and hearts must be ready to worship and our hands eager for service.
There are many activities in the house of God which the servants of God have prepared with the help of the Holy Spirit, with the sole purpose of encouraging the people of God. We must come to His sanctuary on His holy day to learn of Him and to ensure that our relationship with Him gets stronger daily. Sabbath school, mission stories and divine service are equally important in equipping the child of God for active service in His Kingdom. There are many churches that do not have such privileges as we do, so we should not miss any opportunity to take advantage of these opportunities for radical spiritual growth. However, just coming to church on time and performing your duties is not enough! The mind and heart must be wholly focused on worshiping God and giving undivided attention to the message He has for His people, as delivered by His servant. If Christ Himself were in the pulpit, would we be spending nearly as much time watching others so we can find fault with them, or would our very beings be entranced by the words spoken by Him? We ought to remember that the presence of God IS in the sanctuary and when we fail to pay attention, we disrespect Him. Come to the sanctuary with the sole aim of meeting with God, and come timeously and with great excitement! After all, if you can keep appointments with your employer, how much more should you keep your appointment with the King of the Universe!
