A Series on Worship (Part 10) - "The Picture"

And so this phrase, “God is really among you”, is the real picture of worship. Whether we look at the Garden of Eden or heaven, the defining factor is the active presence of God. Worship is where Christians are so caught up in the Spirit, so consumed with Christ (in mind, body, heart, and soul) that they have removed distractions from their vision and lives and God is in control to the extent that when they gather with other Christians in the same place, God is really among them. As we love, non-believers will see the love of Christ. As we speak, non-believers will hear the words of Christ. As we serve, non-believers will see the hands of Christ. So worship should be people gathering in the name of Christ, free from the things of the world and the fear of men in the church, so that God can truly and fully move through them, so that the kingdom of God is built up, both from within and without.

I’m sure that there is much more to worship than just these things, but I feel that this is a good summary of worship in every sense. As someone said to me recently, the Spirit should move through us corporately. We should be so united and connected that the Spirit of God is moving through us as we gather together. There should be conviction of sin, visions of heaven and God, power for life and godliness, love for all the elect, prayer for healing, teaching for transformation of the mind, sharing for encouragement. All of these things must happen in order and love.