Psalm 95:6 (NKJV) Come, let us bow down and worship him; let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker!
Worship is an attitude of the heart in which the heart “bows down” before God. It is a time when we are not conscious of the things or the people around us, with no thoughts in our minds other than God. It is not a time for requests or petitions. We simply come because we love Him so much and feel the need to express that love.
God is Spirit, and when God created man, His primary purpose was so that man would worship Him. We are a new creation in Christ, and we now have a direct link from worshipper to God, and it is an unbroken link to the Father, so our worship is spirit to Spirit.
Fall in love with Him and worship Him. The more you worship Him, the more intimately you will know Him, and the more intimately you know Him, the more you will want to know Him. If you really know the Lord, there will be no room for indifference, so if you are still tainted by indifference, it could be an indicator that you are living too close to the world. The closer you live to him, the more you will want to hear His voice.
When we worship, we pour out our hearts and our love to Him, and the deep recesses of our hearts are moved by Him. Your worship to the Lord is distinctly and uniquely “you”, and it touches the heart of God. He longs to hear your words of love, the expression of your heart, and the groaning of your spirit, even if it comes forth in a simple utterance or in sighs. Never compare yourself with others—God desires your worship.
Psalm 132:7 (NKJV) Let us go into His tabernacle; let us worship at His footstool.
The place of worship is the footstool of the Lord. When we worship, we look into His face and are changed from glory to glory, to become like Him. It is a place where He speaks to us too.
We need to build a Church culture where people desire a real encounter with God through worship. We should always leave church knowing that at some point during the service, we have poured out our hearts in love and adoration and worship before Him. If we decide that each time we go into the house of the Lord, we will pour out the depth of our spirits to Him in worship, He will be pleased, because He delights in people who delight in Him.
We should go into worship seeking after God only, and not be affected by our schedule or the next thing that we need to do, but simply to enjoy and be blessed by His presence and see what He has to say to our hearts. Habitual sins can be dealt with effectively in the presence of God as the chain of bondage falls away, and sickness and pain begin to be healed as the anointing through the presence of God flows through the minds and bodies of the people.
Sermon Series: ICS Worship Culture (Part 2)
敬拜是爱慕的时刻
诗篇95:6 来啊，我们要屈身敬拜，在造我们的耶和华面前跪下。
敬拜是一种心态, 是心灵在神面前的“鞠躬”。在这样的时刻，我们的意识中已经没有了周遭的人或物，心思意念中唯有神。此刻不是提出请求或请愿的时候，我们来只是因为我们很爱神,觉得要把这份爱表达出来。
神是个灵，起初神造人时的首要目的就是要人来敬拜祂。我们是基督里新造的人，如今，敬拜者与神直接关连，这是一条与父神之间永不断绝的联系，所以我们的敬拜是灵对圣灵的敬拜。
爱上祂，敬拜祂。你越敬拜祂就越了解祂，你越亲密地了解祂，就会越发想认识祂。如果你真的认识主, 就不会对祂冷漠，所以倘若你依然对神无动于衷, 这可能表示, 你的生命依然太靠近世界。你离神越近，就越想听到祂的声音。
敬拜时, 我们向祂尽情地倾吐我们心深处的爱，我们心深处也会被神所触动。你对主的敬拜是真实的你, 独特的你，而这会触及神的心。祂渴望听见你爱的话语, 你的心意, 你灵里的呻吟，哪怕只是发出简单的声音或叹息。不要跟他人比较—神渴望的是你的敬拜。
诗篇132:7 我们要进他的居所，在他脚凳前下拜。
敬拜的地方就是神的脚凳。当我们敬拜时, 我们得见祂的面, 我们被改变从荣耀到荣耀，也越来越像祂。这也是神对我们说话的地方。
我们需要建立这种教会文化, 在这里的每一个人都渴望通过敬拜与神有个真正的相遇。而每当我们离开教会时，我们清楚知道在主日的某个时刻，我们在主面前倾吐了我们的爱、崇拜和敬拜。如果我们决定，每次进入神的殿中，都要在敬拜中在灵里深处向神倾心吐意, 祂会喜悦，因为祂喜悦那些喜悦祂的人。
我们应当进入敬拜, 单单寻求神, 不受任何行程或安排所影响，仅仅为了享受神的同在, 并因此蒙祝福, 并聆听神对我们的心说话。当捆绑于神的同在中松脱，习瘾之罪就能得到有效的处置；当恩膏藉着神的同在流经人的意念和身体，病痛就开始得医治。
讲章系列：ICS的敬拜文化（第二部分）
Image Source: pixabay.com