The Big Diehl

If you are not a private worshiper, you will not likely be a public worshiper. You may go to church, and go through all the motions. But you will not likely really worship. Trying to worship publicly, not having worshiped privately is like the dry heaves: you are trying to bring up something you don’t have in you. -Paul Faulkner

Is it possible to worship incorrectly? Can we screw up our Worship to God? Yes, I believe we can. This is a series of blogs inspired by Jack Hayford discussing 4 examples of how our worship to God can be defiled. This week - its . . .

The David Blindspot.

So here’s what went down. God gave the Israelites specific instructions on making the Ark of the Covenant, and that when it was to be transported it was to be carried on shoulders (Numbers 4). God was clear that anyone who touched the Ark of the Covenant would die. In the Old Testament, the Ark of the Covenant was equivalent with the presence of God.

(This story is in 2 Sam. 6) Many years later, David became King of the Israelites, and he didn’t want to be king without having God involved. So he made arrangements to have the Ark of the Covenant brought into Jerusalem, the City of David. This was a great act of worship! All of the people were celebrating their hearts out. But King David screwed up in the midst of his trying to worship.

Instead of transporting the Ark on the shoulders of priests as God commanded, he had the Ark put on a cart to be wheeled into the City of David. In the transport, the oxen pulling the cart stumbled, and one of the priests reached up to steady the Ark on the cart because it was about ready to fall off. Immediately God struck that priest dead because of his irreverent act.

So David got angry at God. He was scared to even have the Ark come into Jerusalem at that point, and he decided to have it stored at another guy’s house for awhile. (This story does have a very happy ending - but you can read it on your own in 2 Samuel 6. Seriously go read it - its really good). This was a well intentioned act of worship - but David disrespected the presence of God. The worship ceased. This is the David Blindspot; he was excited about worship - but he was irreverent of the presence of God.

The David Blindspot is about irreverence of the presence of God (the Ark was the presence of God in the Old Testament).

What are ways we can be irreverent of the presence of God today?

How can we be reverent in God’s presence today?

Is it possible to screw up our worship? Can we do it wrong? Umm… yea. I think we can. I know we can. Here are four things that defile our worship to God (you’re getting them one post at a time).

The Cain Obstruction

In Genesis 4 we can read the story of Cain and Abel. Both Cain and Abel brought an offering to God. Abel brought the best of the best of what he had. Cain brought “some;” the leftovers. God wanted the best of the best; so God was not pleased with Cain’s offering.

When we worship, we’re offering what we have to God. The Cain Obstruction is an example of screwing up worship. It’s when you give God what you want to give Him without consideration to what He wants.

God wants the best of our best as worship to Him. He wants our best life as worship to Him. God wants a sacrifice of praise as worship to Him. Yes - that’s right - a sacrifice. That means you suffer something.

“Oh, Adam,” I hear you say, “God doesn’t want me to suffer and sacrifice something. God’s a nice guy.”

lol.

The Old Testament’s model of worship was through sacrifices. The New Testament’s model of worship is through . . . you guessed it, a sacrifice. It’s worshiping when we don’t feel like it. It’s continually choosing God’s will every day even when its not the easy way. It’s a sacrifice.

True worship is concerned about giving God what He wants. Screwed-up worship is more concerned about what we want to give God than what God wants us to give Him. That screwed up worship is what we’re gonna call, “The Cain Obstruction.” You may be worshiping, but if you’re worshiping in a selfish manner (and only you can know if you’re giving God what he wants or not), your worship is defiled; your worship is screwed up.

*This example of screwed up worship is not my original idea. The model is from a lecture I heard from Jack Hayford; the ideas and applications are my own.*

“Worship is something the Holy Spirit is seeking to bring into the church in a deepening sense – but it only occurs when the leader sees worship as God sees it.” -Jack Hayford

Why Should We Worship? Three reasons from Exodus 25.

1) God wants to dwell among us (not atmospherically).
2) God wants to meet us.
3) God wants to speak to us.

Surely God can do these things individually with each of us on our own (”sans church”). There is nothing wrong with private worship, but it cannot take the place of worshiping together with the church. In Exodus 25 and surrounding chapters, God laid out His plan for how he wants to be worshiped. God doesn’t talk about private individual worship there. He talks about group worship.

God wants to dwell among THE CHURCH (not just you individually).
God wants to meet with THE CHURCH (not just you individually).
God wants to speak to THE CHURCH (not just you individually).

Let’s come to our churches this weekend expecting an encounter from God.