A spirit-filled christian is a worshiper!
In Ephesians 5:18–20, Paul says this about the Spirit-filled life: Do not get drunk on wine which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Over the last twenty to thirty years, a spirit of worship has been sweeping the Christian world, characterized by a growing awareness of the worthiness of God to be praised, worshiped, adored, honored, and glorified. The Holy Spirit has inspired thousands of choruses around the world which God is using to move His church into ever-deepening dimensions of praise and worship. Many of the traditional hymns and choral anthems have not lost their place in worship, either. This explosive growth has brought worship music front and center in the life of the church. Some even call this resurgence of worship, “The Great Worship Awakening.”
God is also moving by His Spirit to show us how to worship! Singing, music, a great variety of instruments, dance, banners, flags, marches, pageants, dramas — the Holy Spirit is infinitely creative, and I’m sure we’ve just scratched the surface of the wonder and glory to be found in worship. We’ve come a long way from the era when “two hymns and special music” were seen primarily as a buildup to what was once viewed as the main feature of the service — the sermon. Of course, the sermon is an essential time when God speaks to us through the preaching of His Word. But worship is a time where we enjoy a two-way communication with our God — when we can respond to Him, expressing our love and adoration directly to Him. It now seems odd to me that what we used to call “worship services” consisted of so little true worship. We would sing about God, testify about His goodness, tell others about Him, and try to bring others to faith in Him. But often we failed to offer anything directly to Him, except perhaps an occasional pastoral prayer for our needs.
A glorious shift is taking place in our worship culture. In addition to all the other things we used to do, we now recognize that God longs for us to focus our attention and love directly to Him. No longer a prelude to what really matters, we sing our praises to adore Him, to express our love back to our wonderful God (“God of wonders beyond our galaxy, You are holy . . .”, or, “I’m coming back to the heart of worship, and it’s all about you, it’s all about you, Jesus. ..”). This new recognition of getting back to “the heart of worship” is certainly God-breathed. Worshiping our awesome God most certainly is a worthwhile goal, a primary focus, and an end in itself — whether or not we ever get to hear the sermon!
Think how our Heavenly Father feels when we enter His presence, not to make requests or demands, but just to let Him know how much we love and appreciate Him. Jesus said, “A time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks” (John 4:23). Our Father loves us. He created us for fellowship with Himself, to be His beloved children. “He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will” (Ephesians 1:4–5, NRSV). “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!” (1 John 3:1). Our Heavenly Father yearns for fellowship with us, invites us into His “Holy of Holies” and up into his lap.
Our response is WORSHIP. It begins by offering ourselves fully to Him in surrender and service (Romans 12:1), and also includes giving our praises and our offerings to Him (Hebrews 13:15–16; 2 Corinthians 9:6–15). The apostle John takes us into the very heart of heaven in the book of Revelation, where we see what real worship is all about. One example: “Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: ‘To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power forever and ever!’ The four living creatures said ‘Amen,’ and the elders fell down and worshiped” (Revelation 5:1–14). When we pray the Lord’s prayer, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” we are in large measure praying that the worship of God and His Son, Jesus Christ, which is so central to the lifestyle of heaven, will be duplicated here on the earth! One of the Holy Spirit’s roles is to bring this about. Oh, that we would all cry with the Psalmist, “Praise be to His glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen and Amen” (Psalm 72:19).
A Spirit-filled Christian is a worshiper! Worship awakens a sense of EXPECTANY, a sense of WONDER! Dr. Charles Revis, Executive Minister of the American Baptist Churches of the Northwest said this: “The Holy Spirit enables worship that has a power, a presence to it, not just going through the motions. He brings a sense of excitement, a freedom for spontaneity in following His leading to pray for healing of bodies, relationships, hearts.” Dr. John Piippo at Redeemer Fellowship Church in Monroe, Michigan makes the same point when he says, “Our services have no formal endings; they are not formulaic. There’s expectancy! Who knows what’s going to happen?” Expectancy! Excitement! Wonder! God is alive – and He is worthy to be worshiped!
Spirit-filled worshipers are not all alike in terms of outward exuberance or displays of emotion and physical expression. However, in one way all who are filled with the Holy Spirit will be the same: their worship will be genuine, sincere, inspired, from the heart. And remember this: Worship is not about us or our preferences. Worship is for an audience of ONE! It’s about GOD, His goodness, His greatness, His glory! And He is worthy! Praise His Name!!!