Thursday, January 27, 2011

Find Your Purpose: Worship

There is a common refrain that finds itself repeated throughout much of the history of the church. It is that the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.

Enjoy Him.

Experience, relate to, be fulfilled and enjoy Him.

In a word: WORSHIP

We are created to worship our maker. God is the source of all life, existence, joy and meaning. When I say that we are to enjoy Him forever, I mean we are to enjoy Him as He is, for who He is, and What He is.

Enjoy God because He is God.

Meaning, you can't enjoy Him if you are too busy trying to make him jump through your hoops. You can't enjoy Him if you are too busy trying to make Him serve You. You can't enjoy Him if you think of Him as just another person.

Enjoy the fact that God is not you. Be thankful that God is not you. He is not like you, He does not think like you. His existence is beyond you, above you, over you, and bigger than you. Those difficulties you have, He doesn't.

You should rejoice in this.

Enjoy God! Worship Him. Why? Because it is what you were created to do. It is in your very being. Your meaning and purpose in life will be completely wrapped up in serving and worshiping God. If you don't worship Him, you can't enjoy Him.

The Psalmists knew all too well that God wasn't like them and they loved it.

EVERY BIT OF IT! They marveled at His majesty, sang songs about His Wisdom, trembled at His Power, and invited the nations to come find out what they already knew: God is awesome.

Psalm 95 puts it this way:
 Oh come, let us sing to the LORD; 
      let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! 
            2      Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; 
      let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! 
            3      For the LORD is a great God, 
      and a great King above all gods. 
            4      In his hand are the depths of the earth; 
      the heights of the mountains are his also. 
            5      The sea is his, for he made it, 
      and his hands formed the dry land. 

            6      Oh come, let us worship and bow down; 
      let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker! 
            7      For he is our God, 
      and we are the people of his pasture, 
      and the sheep of his hand. 
                  Today, if you hear his voice, 
            8      do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, 
      as on the day at Massah in the wilderness, 
            9      when your fathers put me to the test 
      and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work. 
            10      For forty years I loathed that generation 
      and said, “They are a people who go astray in their heart, 
      and they have not known my ways.” 
            11      Therefore I swore in my wrath, 
      “They shall not enter my rest.” 

You see that? Invitation to join in, a warning about ignoring Him, and an absolute sense of awe at His being. 

Worship is not an choice for those who have Discovered God. It becomes their purpose in life. Service and Worship, Worship and service, praise and practice, practice and praise all become intertwined in this wonderfully poetic dance that is life. We worship because of God's greatness. Our worship leads us to service and our service erupts in praise. 

Psalm 97 puts it this way:
The LORD reigns, let the earth rejoice; 
      let the many coastlands be glad! 
            2      Clouds and thick darkness are all around him; 
      righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. 
            3      Fire goes before him 
      and burns up his adversaries all around. 
            4      His lightnings light up the world; 
      the earth sees and trembles. 
            5      The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, 
      before the Lord of all the earth. 

            6      The heavens proclaim his righteousness, 
      and all the peoples see his glory. 
            7      All worshipers of images are put to shame, 
      who make their boast in worthless idols; 
      worship him, all you gods! 

            8      Zion hears and is glad, 
      and the daughters of Judah rejoice, 
      because of your judgments, O LORD. 
            9      For you, O LORD, are most high over all the earth; 
      you are exalted far above all gods. 

            10      O you who love the LORD, hate evil! 
      He preserves the lives of his saints; 
      he delivers them from the hand of the wicked. 
            11      Light is sown for the righteous, 
      and joy for the upright in heart. 
            12      Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous, 
      and give thanks to his holy name! 

This awe inspiring, terror building, righteous judge is on His throne and everyone, those near and far need to rejoice simply because it is true. The Psalmist is not worried about living his best life now. He isn't worried about himself at all. He is overcome with the greatness of God. It is great beyond compare, terrifying and yet assuring. 

Enjoy God! 

Look beyond your circumstances. Look beyond yourself and see God for Who and What He is. Worship Him in Spirit and Truth. Worship Him in life, in song, in service and in fellowship and you will rise Above Reality.