Worship

Worship, what is worship? I've heard people say worship is the slow songs we sing, but honestly worship has nothing to do with the tempo of the song and very little to do with the words of the song, because worship is not a song it's a lifestyle. And not merely a lifestyle filled with music and singing but rather a life filled with obedience "He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. (Mark 7:6) I read a analogy this week in a book by John Bevere that really challenged me, he asked what would happen if a wife asked her husband for help with supper and he said no I'm too busy, then later she asked with help cleaning up and he said no he wanted to watch the baseball game, and later yet she asked for help giving the kids bath and he said no yet again. Then after the kids were all in bed he comes up to his wife and says how much he loves her and asks if she wants to go to bed early *wink, wink*, what do you think her response will be? (John Bevere uses this analogy in his book drawing near although I put it in my own words here) Is this any different from how we treat God? We ignore his words all week, at times living lives of blatant disobedience then we come to church on Sunday and sing about how he is "all we ever wanted". Do we really think God is fooled? Amos 5:23-24 says "Away with your noisy hymns of praise! I will not listen to the music of your harps. Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice, an endless river of righteous living." (NLT). Lets look at the first place the word worship appears in scripture Genesis 22:15 "And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.". Abraham was not going to go sing a slow song, he was going to obey God and offer his son. I am convinced many of us have never been asked by God to do anything as hard as what God asked of abraham, and yet many of us are not nearly as obedient. I believe with my whole heart that God is looking for people totally sold out to Him, that He is calling all of us to lives of worship, lives of total obedience to Him. John 14:21 "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him." and verse 23 "Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." we can live in intimate fellowship with the father through obedience this is a life of worship! And God is looking for worshipers John 4:23 "But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him." Lord please forgive me for the times I've made worship just a slow song, for the times I have ignored and disobeyed you. Holy Spirit please help me to live a life of total obedience, forgive me for the times I've grieved you. Father I want to dwell in your presence, for better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere. In Jesus Name, Amen