Downloading Worship

Does your mind tend to hop all over the place? Does one thought lead to another and then another and so on and so forth? Mine does. As I wrote in my blog intro, sometimes I wish I could just download it all and then organize it!

Today, once again, I have encountered mental hopscotch! But sometimes it is a good game. Today, I have bent over and picked up pieces of God's goodness, his loving kindness, his holiness, his worthiness and in the process, have scratched on the concrete (yuck) of man's wickedness, enmity, sinfulness, and utter depravity.

What brings on such a mind boggling little kid's game inside my heart and head? I believe it to be a natural hangover from a beautiful time of being together with God's children in Worship. Where two or three are gathered, there he is. God inhabits the praise of his people. The simple truths of the Word expressed in teaching, song, testimony, and preaching can hold the heart and mind captive like absolutely nothing else. The armor of truth can thwart any and all attacks of the evil one for "greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world."

The emotions that accompany the worship of the Living God are exhilarating. Yes, emotions. No greater display of these worthy emotions is found than what we read in the psalms - well, unless it is the Apostle Paul at the end of Romans 11! Deep truth should overwhelm us - in a good way. For instance, think about propitiation. We sang about it yesterday. Propitiation is the appeasement of wrath through sacrifice. Jonathan Edwards painted the picture with the words, "Sinners in the hands of an angry God." What a perfect wrath! Perfect, holy wrath does not deserve to be appeased. God's wrath is indescribable. It doesn't compare to the wrath of man. Man's wrath is usually sin or will lead to sin if not placed in God's control. God's wrath is justifiable. Depraved man has given the finger to a holy God. Does that sound foul? I hope so, for my sin is a stench in the nostrils of God.

God could so easily have never given Noah a rainbow. Having the foreknowledge that he does, he could have easily said, "I will wipe out the world on a regular basis". Instead, before the foundation of the world, he provided a perfect sacrifice to satisfy his holy wrath. That could only be done through his only Son! So now, God is satisfied. He has provided salvation from sin, therefore from wrath, to all who believe.

What does this have to do with worship? EVERYTHING! So great a salvation has provided victory over death and hell and sin and Satan and all that is evil. So great a salvation has freed all who believe from eternal punishment. Victory invites celebration! Victory warms the body with emotions. Because Christ won our victory, the resulting celebration is call "Worship". Worship is based upon solid doctrine. Solid doctrine can't help but erupt in worship.

When I think about God no longer being angry over my sin because Jesus Christ has paid the ultimate sacrifice, my whole body warms up. My heart pounds as though it is going to pop out of my chest, and my mind cannot formulate enough thoughts of gratitude for my tongue to release through words of praise! Victory is like marching around Jericho - it puts us on shouting ground! Hallelujah to the Lamb!