True Worship P4-Walking in the Dust of the Rabbi

One day, I saw a bumper sticker which read: “Exercise daily-walk with the Lord…” This seems like an apt topic to finish off our series on true worship. What does it mean to “walk with the Lord”? Your walk with the Lord is your relationship with Him. The way you worship will largely determine the way you walk with Him. Are you running ahead of Him, or are you so far behind that you can’t seem Him anymore?

An ancient Jewish Rabbinical blessing goes something like this: “May you walk in the dust of your Rabbi!” To walk in someone’s dust means you have to be walking just behind that person i.e. following close on his heels. Jesus explained this to His disciples in John 13:16 when He said that no servant is greater than his Lord. You cannot walk next to the Rabbi for you will never be His equal. You cannot run ahead of Him because He alone can lead the way as you journey through life’s uncharted territory. True worship comes in taking the posture of discipleship by following close on the Rabbi’s heels; He is the light and without Him you will be walking in darkness. Let Him light up the road that lies ahead so that you can pass safely. (John 8:12, John 1:9, 2Pet 1:17-19, Ps 119:105)

We know all about reverence in the sanctuary and bringing gifts to the altar. These are important aspects of true worship. However, true worship is not situational-it does not occur only in the sanctuary. The Psalmist echoes it perfectly in Ps 63 when he says that his longing to worship God grows because of his personal encounter with Him in the sanctuary (Ps 63:1-2). His sanctuary experience translates into a longing to shadow the Lord, “following hard after Him” (v8). Sadly, in many churches there is a lack of emphasis on this crucial aspect of true worship. If our worship is not revolutionizing and transforming our lives and making us more like Christ, then it is not true worship!

There is an old saying: “By beholding, you are changed.” I believe the Bible echoed this sentiment long before the secular author of this saying. In 2 Cor 3:18 it states that by beholding the glory of God, we are transformed by His Spirit into His image and likeness. How is the glory of God revealed to us? It is through the life of Christ, the visible representation of the invisible God, that the glory is revealed! Therefore, we must behold the life of Christ and meditate upon its scenes. Only then can we be changed. Only then can our worship be true, faithful and meaningful not just to us, but to the watching world as well! We can no longer pay lip service and pretend to be “holy” in church yet live our lives any way we please as soon as we leave the sanctuary. Those who desire to truly worship God and attain a place of honour in His Kingdom must be closest to the Rabbi. His yoke must become their yoke, His passion their passion and His work their work! (Matt 11:29)

Being close to the Rabbi means being totally covered by the dust from His sandals. Our lives must be modeled on the life of Christ. Let us take our worship to the streets-let us walk in the dust of our Rabbi, Jesus Christ!

1Jn 2:6  He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

What kind of brother are you?

The story in Luke 15 tells of a young man who demanded his inheritance so he could start a life of his own. After much deliberation, his father is forced to accede to his request as his son refuses to see the error of his ways. The son squanders his inheritance on riotous living, and soon is left empty - handed. Friends desert him as his inheritance dwindles. Eventually he is alone, left to fend for himself in an unfamiliar and hostile world. He possesses little skill or wisdom as he refused to use the time spent with his father to learn a trade or help in the family business. As a young Jewish lad he eventually finds himself hired as a keeper of swine, a job that in his culture would have been viewed as unclean and despicable.

Eventually he comes to his senses and returns home, planning to beg the forgiveness of God and his father and to secure a place among his dad’s hired labourers, as he is no longer worthy to be called his son. The magnitude of his sin weighs heavily on him as he walks the dusty road to his village. Suddenly from afar, he sees a figure running toward him, robes flapping ridiculously. He immediately recognizes his father, arms outstretched and looking less than dignified as he dashes toward his son to embrace him, kissing him on the neck. With tears in his eyes, he commands that the best robe be put on his son, sandals on his feet and the signet ring of authority on his right hand thus restoring him to the position of honour he once held as his son.

Meanwhile the older son who had remained with the father came in from the fields after a hard day’s labour and was less than impressed with the reason for the great celebration the father had arranged. After his brother had left home, he had to carry the workload of two men and he had no time for fun or celebration. He reasoned that he was better than his brother. After all he had sacrificed much to remain with his father. He felt unappreciated, and his grudging obedience to the father was taking its toll on him.

As part of the church of Christ, what kind of brother are you? Are you happy when your brother in the Lord comes home, sinful though he may be? Remember, you have sinned too. Take the example of Jesus to heart. As our elder brother, He chose to leave the glories of Heaven to risk all to save us. Now that we are safely home, he commands us to do the same. We are to go into the world, looking for straying children of our Father for He longs to welcome them home.

Scripture references: Luke 15:10-32