It's Time To WAKE UP!

 God has been doing a deep work within my heart for the past three years, revealing more and more to me about the connection of worship and missions - about the reality that SHOULD BE, but often is not. I've become more and more convinced that missions, social justice, and simply having our hearts aligned with the heart of God should be a natural outgrowth of time spent with God in worship.

In other words, I believe our worship should point us outward and SEND US OUTSIDE THE WALLS.

Mark Labberton has provided, in my opinion, the best definition of worship I've ever seen in his book "The Dangerous Act of Worship". I might warn you that his writings will rock your world. I can only read a few pages at a time and then I am just wrecked and have to have a week to think about it. At this rate I may never finish this book......

Here's what Mark says: "Worship turns out to be the DANGEROUS ACT of waking up to God and to the purposes of God in the world, and then LIVING LIVES THAT ACTUALLY SHOW IT." (emphasis mine)

My friends, it is time to quit going to church worried only about how it meets our needs and being cranky when it doesn't. It's time to quit focusing only on our desires and wants and to truly fix our eyes on Jesus, becoming aware of His work in the world around us. It's time to quit worrying so much about how comfortable we are or want to be, and instead to realize how very needy most of the world around us is - both physically and spiritually.

We are blessed beyond measure.......We are loved beyond comprehension.

It's time to worship God with our eyes wide open, to encounter the Living God and then to go out in the world and LIVE OUT the reality of that encounter.

Church, it's time to wake up!

Lord, stir me from my slumber.......wreck my heart for YOUR purposes in this world. I want to be awake and alive to YOU and I want to live a life that vividly shows it!

Comments

[Preston]

Jan - I couldn't agree more with your comments here! However, the church will never change unless they do one thing. Todays churches needs a proper perspective on what God demands in order for people to be in right relationship with Him. Too many churches still preach a "you can have your cake and eat it too message". This is evident by the vast number of preachers (not to mention their popularity) who preach that today's Christians are simply just "sinners who are forgiven" rather than individuals who have dramatically changed hearts and commit themselves to "be thou holy, as I am holy" as our Savior commands us. Revival has only happened in the world when men and women fall face down and cry out to God over their sins and vow to God and themselves never to embark in engaging in the insantity of sin ever again (a message that is sadly unpopular in today's world). People will not "change" and exemplify Christ until they have encountered Christ and come to have a knowledge of God (theology) and what he requires of us to remain in right and proper relationship. We can provide social justice, feed the poor and clothe the naked, but if it is not done with a "pure heart and mind" it is simply a dead work. Indeed the gospel truth is a "dangerous" thing, but from what I see not many people are willing to stand up and tell others they are not only free from the consequences of sin, but more importantly they are free from it on a day to day basis. For me that is radical and "dangerous" act of worship. Thanks for sharing!