Owners Night Presentation

This past Tuesday at our monthly Owners Night, I taught on worship. Specifically, the role our hearts play as worshipers. That’s right- worshipers. While worship is often seen as an event with a starting and stopping time, similar to working out at the gym, we are created in the image of a triune God who exists in a state of constant glory – the Father glorifies the Son and Spirit, the Spirit glorifies the Father and Son, and the Son, Father and Spirit. Whether we choose to or not, our hearts are constantly pouring out glory. Sin is when that is to anything other than God. The question then is not “Will I worship?” but “Who will I worship?”

Just as I’ve done in past posts on worship.vintage21.com, the worship issue felt and observed at Vintage21 Church on Sundays, and subsequently in the lives outside of the Sunday service, was brought into the open. Hopefully, the message was clear, and people will listen as the Holy Spirit may be leading them to lose the pride and respond fully to God.

One thing must be said to avoid potential miscommunication or confusion that may have resulted from Tuesday night. The Spirit of God is faithful, and has grown us at Vintage21. Not only have the music, style, and sermons grown more Christ-centered, but the followers of Christ have as well, and God has saved seekers and doubters. When I speak of unfaithfulness in our response, it’s not to say there hasn’t been growth in people. However, the challenge remains for everyone to check his or her heart in humility. We’re in this together.

It was intentional that no steps were given to what responding in worship looks like, although in scripture we find a plethora* of responses. Our natural human nature desires that we be told what to do in order to please God (not that it would work- see: Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil), and certainly some people were frustrated that specific instructions weren’t given beyond “listen to the Holy Spirit and obey.” However, there is an ignorance of proper responses of God and the reasons behind them. So look out! There will be a new category here that deals with what proper responses to God found in scripture. Starting tomorrow.

*why hasn’t there been a metal band called Plethora (pronounced “pleh-thor-uh”) yet? Especially if they didn’t know what it meant, but just thought it sounded tough.