Worship with the right mindset

 

Whom Do You Serve?

It's not a trick question. It's actually a very important one that we all need to ask ourselves every once in a while. I found myself having to ask myself the very same question today. And it wasn't easy to listen to the answer!

Plus, it's a tough one - particularly if you consider yourself to be selfless. If you'd like to think that helping others is right at the centre of what you do.

Because the selfless person runs the risk of pleasing people more than pleasing God.

I'm not just saying this to be self-deprecating. It's simply a case of clear vision. And of trying to be content with God’s own assurance of me, of us.

It's all tied up with the concept of working out how you are shaped.  It's in knowing that God has wired each of us in a certain way, and you can use it for good.

If God has gifted you with uplifting words, then use it to build up others, by encouraging. If you are good with your hands, then use it to build things, to repair things.

However, central to everything must be your relationship with God. If not, then you're only trying to please people. And, trust me, only a small minority will ever be grateful, will ever respond.

If you have "people-pleasing" as your goal, you're not really thinking of serving other people. Instead, you’re thinking of how to get them to like you. And you'll be let down.

So, turn this around. Don't think about pleasing others, think about serving others.

Joshua 24:15 (The Message)
“If you decide that it’s a bad thing to worship God, then choose a god you’d rather serve — and do it today. Choose one of the gods your ancestors worshipped from the country beyond The River, or one of the gods of the Amorites, on whose land you’re now living. As for me and my family, we’ll worship God.”

Z is for Zacchaeus

This is a traditional Christian children's song - and my only chance to round off this year's A-Z nicely. The song recounts the story of Zacchaeus as reported in Luke 19:1–10.

Unless you know of any other Worship Song beginning with Z? :)

Y is for You Laid Aside Your Majesty

Written by Noel Richards, this song contains such a powerful and very personal message about Christ's great passion for each and every one of us.

Have you ever considered why everything just keeps coming back to who this Jesus person was? Find out why by clicking here.

X is for eXalted

He is Exalted is a song by Twila Paris, a singer/songwriter from Texas who has released a total of 22 albums in a busy career. She is also a published author with several books under her belt, dealing with personal worship and praise.

W is for We Are Marching

"Siyahamba" is an African song that became popular worldwide churches in the 1990s and 2000s. The title means "We Are Marching" in the Zulu language.

V is for Victory

We Have Sung Our Songs Of Victory (How Long) is a song by Stuart Townend. It's a plea to the Almighty to move in power in our land.

Stuart has shared in interview about being extremely conscious of a tremendous responsibility to point people towards God. "Am I not only talking about his love and faithfulness, but am I talking about his mercy, his justice, his compassion and his heart for the world? I think it’s important for all of us who are involved in church music to be thinking through those things and thinking: am I presenting a fully-formed picture of who God is?"

U is for Unchanging (Raise Up Holy Hands)

A Chris Tomlin song, one that I must admit I discovered only whilst doing resource for this very blog entry!

It's growing on me ...

T is for 10,000 Reasons

Whilst preparing to record his latest album, Matt Redman sat down with his friend, Jonas Myrin, and wrote "10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)" in about an hour. He admitted in an interview that the words just seemed to 'drop in his lap', with the chorus initially inspired by Psalm 103.

Matt finds the Psalms a deep inspiration for him. "If you wake up one day and you can't think of a reason to praise Him, there is something wrong with your spiritual outlook."

S is for Soon And Very Soon

Andraé Crouch was born during the Second World War in San Francisco, where his parents ran the local dry cleaners.

Brought up in an active christian family, Andraé soon became a key figure in contemporary Christian Music during the 1960s and 1970s. 'Soon And Very Soon' was produced during the height of his musical career.

R is for Refiner's Fire

Purify My Heart (Refiner's Fire) is a song by Brian Doerksen. I understand that the title is inspired from a number of pieces of scripture about refining - including the following:

Zechariah 13:7-9 (NIV)
‘Awake, sword, against my shepherd, against the man who is close to me!’ declares the Lord Almighty.
‘Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn my hand against the little ones.
In the whole land,’ declares the Lord, ‘two-thirds will be struck down and perish; yet one-third will be left in it.
This third I will put into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold.
They will call on my name and I will answer them;
I will say, “They are my people,” and they will say, “The Lord is our God.”’

Q is for sQualor

"From The Squalor Of A Borrowed Stable (Immanuel)" is a song by Stuart Townend. His song starts with the familiar Nativity story, but it emphasises some of the shocking detail that we often seem to overlook – it's actually the account of a mother giving birth in a cold stable – why would God choose that setting for the birth of the Messiah?

P is for Peter And John Went To Pray

A children's song now - entitled 'Silver and Gold' in some songbooks - and one where the author's name seems to be unknown! The song is based of course on the account related in Acts 3:

Acts 3: 1-10 (NIV)
One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.

Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. When all the people saw him walking and praising God, they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

O is for Only By Grace

A terrific song, written by Gerrit Gustafson.

Lord, if you mark our transgressions
Who would stand?
Thanks to Your grace, we are cleansed
By the blood of the Lamb…

N is for Nothing’s Too Big

"Nothing's too big, big, big, for His power; Nothing's too little, little for His care"

A family-friendly worship song by Doug Horley (Duggie Dug Dug), a British singer-songwriter. Doug's songs have been used by churches all around the world.

M is for More Love, More Power

Written by Jude Del Hierro in 1987; a interesting song emphasising the power which flows out of passion. There are two Greek words which are often used in the New Testament for power:

Exousia (ex-a-see-a) (Acts 1:7) - meaning authority.
Dymanis (do-na-miss) (Acts 1:8) - meaning power (from which we get the word 'dynamo').

Acts 1:7-8(NIV)
He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

L is for Lord, I Lift Your Name on High

According to Wikipedia, Rick Founds wrote this song on 1989 as part of his morning devotions, strumming his guitar at the same time. He was thinking of the "cycle of redemption", comparing it with the water cycle (the journey water molecules take as they circulate from the land to the sky and back again).

K is for King Of Kings, Majesty

A powerful song, emphasising the awesome majesty of God, and written by Welsh songwriter Jarrod Cooper. In addition to being a songwriter, Jarrod is an author, conference speaker and broadcaster, as well as running a multi-site church fellowship of his own.

J is for Jesus, Be The Centre

A song by Michael Frye now, one that means a lot to me. I find it useful to remind myself that Jesus should be at the centre of my life. In fact, the real truth is in realising Jesus' place at the centre of all things. Many people choose to deny this, or be ignorant of this truth, but scripture continually points us to this.

John 5:39-40 (NIV, words of Jesus)
"You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life."

I is for Indescribable

A song written by Laura Story, a young lady who admits that she never realised that she could sing - so much less write songs - until she was in her 20s. She's very honest and humbled by her talent. In a interview that I read on-line she admitted, "Mine is not the perfect voice or the perfect life. My life is as messy as the next person's, and God is using me to speak to the Church. For this season of my life, God has really blessed me with some insight into who he is and what that has to do with me. For some reason he just gives it to me in song form."

The song has most notably been made famous by Chris Tomlin.