LIVING ON THE EDGE

Over the past several weeks at Westchester Church we have been unpacking several bible passages concerning worship and what that looks like. I thought it would be helpful to give some guidelines that would allow us to get the most out of worship experience every Sunday. No matter where you attend church these will help you get more from the service every week. These are just my thoughts and I have practiced these and continue to do so even now as I prepare for the messages every week.

Look them over and then give it a shot. I understand it will take some getting used to but like every good habit it must be done at least five time before becomes a habit.

• Get up 30 minutes earlier than normal. Set your alarm and don’t hit the snooze button
• Turn a CD of Praise and worship. Make it loud enough to hear but not over powering.
• Read a passage from the bible you put on the nightstand the night before. Open it up ready to read first thing Sunday morning.
• Get the kids up, if they are still at home, and greet them with a smile on your face. Don’t be grumpy.
• Keep the music playing even after you leave for church. It will be there to welcome you home.
• While on the way to church, play a CD or radio of praise and worship. Keep the conversation focused on the Lord and avoid negative talk at ALL COST.
• Arrive 10 -15 minutes early-greet friends-Go to the restroom and get your coffee or drink.
• Enter the auditorium 5 minutes before the service begins with a heart of gratitude and expectation of meeting God. THIS IS CRUCIAL.
• Participate in the singing and take notes during the message. This will help you stay focused on God and what He is saying to you personally.
• Come prepared to give an offering. Write your check the night before, put in the envelope and put it in your bible-this will help you remember that God is always first in everything.
• At the end of the service greet those around you and then invite your pastor and his wife to go to lunch along with some other friends.

If you will follow this outline for a few weeks I believe you will see a huge difference in how you view God and He will become more real to you than you could have imagined.

God is seeking those who will worship Him in spirit and in truth. Worship is a life style and not just a Sunday morning ritual. So start Saturday night turning your minds attention and your hearts affections toward Jesus Christ. This will revolutionize your Sunday morning worship experience.

How do we know if we have encountered God in worship? Do you feel good? Do you get a buzz? Do you have goose bumps? What? Can we even know that we have encountered God?

After years of studying the issue and leading “worship services” I have found that there are 6 consistent elements that confirm our encounter with God. These elements have been evident in my life and in those I have had spoken with concerning this thing called WORSHIP. This is not an exhaustive list but they are consistent.

Look at the list and see if you have encountered God lately.
• GRATITUDE-when we encounter God in worship our hearts will be full of thanksgiving for what He has done for us in the past and what he is doing for us NOW. Worship can cure a critical spirit. Luke 17:11-19 (NIV)
• PRAISE-we will have an over whelming desire to brag on God and will praise Him by telling others what He has done in our life. Ps.134:1-2 Ps. 66:16 Matt. 15:8 1 Cor. 14:40
• GIVING – This becomes a natural expression of what God has done for us. We become generous with our time, talents and resources. An encounter with God is a great antidote for selfishness. 2 Cor.9:6-8
• PRAYER is a vital part of worship. Prayer is a conversation with God. If we have not talked with Him or listened to Him in worship then our worship is incomplete. Luke 11:9-10 Ja. 5:16
• THE WORD- When we listen to His WORD, the bible, we receive personal instruction, inspiration and in some cases a rebuke. THE WORD is central in worship and it calls us to action. Worship is always active not passive. Ps.119:89 Jer.15:16 2 Tim.3:16 Ps. 119:105 2 Peter 1:19 Ro. 15:4
• OBEDIENCE-without this key element, all the others elements would be just a great bible study topic. Obedience is key to having a life-changing encounter with God. It will not matter what we do in our “worship service” if we do not obey once we leave. Isaiah 1:11-19 Rom.12:1

On my way to a wedding the other day, my wife and me were passing through a rural area outside of Dallas and we came across some sheep, cows and some really nice horses. Animals are always fascinating to me. God created some awesome and at times frustrating creatures.

While stopped and taking some pictures I noticed a large herd of cows get up from their afternoon nap in the shade and fall in line headed towards the guy with the food. The rancher had a huge truck full of hay and grain and had begun unloading the whole load when to my surprise something happened I have never seen before in all the animal kingdom. THE COWS REBELLED.

They stopped and began to surround the rancher. One cow that was older and had been in the herd awhile began complaining to the rancher. So, I got a little closer so I could hear what was being said.

The older wiser cow stepped up and said, “Hey bro, we’re tired of the same ol’ food you keep throwin’ down everyday. We want something else. We need some “greener grass”. We’re tired of the same ol’ grain and hay. We’ve been watching those deer in that other pasture and they get eat some beautiful green grass whenever they want. So we want “greener grass.”

That blew me away. The rancher was giving them what they needed to be strong healthy cows but they wanted something else. The rancher had been trained in animal husbandry and knew exactly what the herd needed to be healthy but that wasn’t good enough. Some cows just wanted more. (Some cows didn’t even move to go get the food. They were satisfied to lie under the tree and do nothing-sad)

When he told the cows that he was going to continue the diet because that was best, a strange thing happened. Some of those cows turned and jumped the fence and went to another pasture. The rancher was devastated and hurt but he had to continue to focus on the remaining herd so they would remain in tact and healthy.

I did a little follow up the other day on this herd and found that the few cows that had left the herd were still wandering around looking for that pasture with “greener grass”. Go figure.