-
(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
Hi , day 12 is missed.
Worship That Pleases God
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.
Mark 12:30 (NIV)
God wants all of you.
God doesn't want a part of your life. He asks for all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. God is not interested in halfhearted commitment, partial obedience1, and the leftovers2 of your time and money. He desires your full devotion, not little bits of your life.
A Samaritan woman once tried to debate Jesus on the best time, place, and style for worship. Jesus replied that these external issues are irrelevant3. Where you worship is not as important as why you worship and how much of yourself you offer to God when you worship. There is a right and wrong way to worship. The Bible says, "Let us be grateful and worship God in a way that will please him." The kind of worship that pleases God has four characteristics:
God is pleased when our worship is accurate. People often say, "I like to think of God as . . . ," and then they share their idea of the kind of God they would like to worship. But we cannot just create our own comfortable or politically correct image of God and worship it. That is idolatry.
Worship must be based on the truth of Scripture4, not our opinions about God. Jesus told the
Samaritan woman, "True worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.'
To "worship in truth" means to worship God as he is truly revealed in the Bible.
God is pleased when our worship is authentic5. When Jesus said you must "worship in spirit," he wasn't referring to the Holy Spirit, but to your spirit. Made in God's image, you are a spirit that resides in a body, and God designed your spirit to communicate with him. Worship is your spirit responding to God's Spirit.
When Jesus said, "Love God with all your heart and soul" he meant that worship must be genuine and heartfelt. It is not just a matter of saying the right words; you must mean what you say. Heartless praise is not praise at all! It is worthless, an insult to God.
When we worship, God looks past our words to see the attitude of our hearts. The Bible says, "Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."
Since worship involves delighting in God, it engages your emotions. God gave you emotions so you could worship him with deep feeling-but those emotions must be genuine, not faked. God hates hypocrisy6. He doesn't want showmanship or pretense7 or phoniness in worship. He wants your honest, real love. We can worship God imperfectly, but we cannot worship him insincerely.
God pleasing worship is deeply emotional and deeply doctrinal. We use both our hearts and our heads.
Of course, sincerity8 alone is not enough; you can be sincerely wrong. That's why both spirit and truth are required. Worship must be both accurate and authentic. God-pleasing worship is deeply emotional and deeply doctrinal. We use both our hearts and our heads.
Today many equate9 being emotionally moved by music as being moved by the Spirit, but these are not the same. Real worship happens when your spirit responds to God, not to some musical tone. In fact, some sentimental10, introspective songs hinder worship because they take the spotlight11 off God and focus on our feelings. Your biggest distraction12 in worship is yourself-your interests and your worries over what others think about you.
Christians14 often differ on the most appropriate or authentic way to express praise to God, but these arguments usually just reflect personality and background differences. Many forms of praise are mentioned in the Bible, among them confessing, singing, shouting, standing15 in honor, kneeling, dancing, making a joyful16 noise, testifying, playing musical instruments, and raising hands. The best style of worship is the one that most authentically17 represents your love for God, based on the background and personality God gave you.
My friend Gary Thomas noticed that many Christians seem stuck in a worship rut-an unsatisfying routine-instead of having a vibrant18 friendship with God, because they force themselves to use devotional methods or worship styles that don't fit the way God uniquely
shaped them.
Gary wondered, If God intentionally19 made us all different, why should everyone be expected to
love God in the same way? As he read Christian13 classics and interviewed mature believers, Gary discovered that Christians have used many different paths for 2,000 years to enjoy intimacy20 with God: being outdoors, studying, singing, reading, dancing, creating art, serving others, having solitude21, enjoying fellowship, and participating in dozens of other activities.
In his book Sacred Pathways, Gary identifies nine of the ways people draw near to God: Naturalists22 are most inspired to love God out-of-doors, in natural settings. Sensates love God with their senses and appreciate beautiful worship services that involve their sight, taste, smell, and touch, not just their ears. Traditionalists draw closer to God through rituals, liturgies23, symbols, and unchanging structures. Ascetics24 prefer to love God in solitude and simplicity25. Activists26 love God through confronting evil, battling injustice27, and working to make the world a better place. Caregivers love God by loving others and meeting their needs. Enthusiasts28 love God through celebration. Contemplatives love God through adoration29. Intellectuals love God by studying with their minds.'
There is no "one-size-fits-all" approach to worship and friendship with God. One thing is certain: You don't bring glory to God by trying to be someone he never intended you to be. God wants you to be yourself. "That's the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before him in their worship."
God is pleased when our worship is thoughtful. Jesus' command to "love God with all your mind" is repeated four times in the New Testament30. God is not pleased with thoughtless singing of hymns31, perfunctory praying of cliches, or careless exclamations32 of "Praise the Lord," because we can't think of anything else to say at that moment. If worship is mindless, it is meaningless. You must engage your mind.
Jesus called thoughtless worship "vain repetitions." Even biblical terms can become tired cliches from overuse, and we stop thinking about the meaning. It is so much easier to offer cliches in worship instead of making the effort to honor God with fresh words and ways. This is why I encourage you to read Scripture in different translations and paraphrases33. It will expand your expressions of worship.
The best style of worship is the
one that most authentically
represents your love for God.
Try Praising God without using the words praise, hallelujah, thanks, or amen. Instead of saying, "We just want to praise you," make a list of synonyms34 and use fresh words like admire, respect, value, revere35, honor, and appreciate.
Also, be specific. If someone approached you and repeated, "I praise you!" ten times, you would probably think, For what? You would rather receive two specific compliments than twenty vague generalities. So would God.
Another idea is to make a list of the different names of God and focus on them. God's names are not arbitrary; they tell us about different aspects of his character. In the Old Testament, God gradually revealed himself to Israel by introducing new names for himself, and he commands us to praise his name.'
God wants our corporate36 worship gatherings37 to be thoughtful, too. Paul devotes an entire chapter to this in 1 Corinthians 14 and concludes, "Everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way."
Related to this, God insists that our worship services be understandable to unbelievers when they are present in our worship gatherings. Paul observed, "Suppose some strangers are in your worship service, when you are praising God with your spirit. If they don't understand you, how will they know to say, `Amen'? You may be worshiping God in a wonderful way, but no one else will be helped. "10 Being sensitive to unbelievers who visit your worship gatherings is a biblical command. To ignore this command is to be both disobedient and unloving. For a full explanation of this, see the chapter on "Worship Can Be a Witness" in The Purpose Driven Church.
God is pleased when our worship is practical. The Bible says, "Offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship." Why does God want your body? Why doesn't he say, "Offer your spirit"? Because without your body you can't do anything on this planet. In eternity38 you will receive a new, improved, upgraded body, but while you're here on earth, God says, "Give me what you've got!" He's just being practical about worship.
You have heard people say, "I can't make it to the meeting tonight, but I'll be with you in spirit." Do you know what that means? Nothing. It's worthless! As long as you're on earth, your spirit can only be where your body is. If your body isn't there, neither are you.
In worship we are to "offer our bodies as living sacrifices." Now, we usually associate the concept of "sacrifice" with something dead, but God wants you to be a living sacrifice. He wants you to live for him! However, the problem with a living sacrifice is that it can crawl off the altar, and we often do that. We sing, "Onward39, Christian Soldiers" on Sunday, then go AWOL on Monday.
In the Old Testament, God took pleasure in the many sacrifices of worship because they foretold40 of Jesus' sacrifice for us on the cross. Now God is pleased with different sacrifices of worship: thanksgiving, praise, humility41, repentance42, offerings of money, prayer, serving others, and sharing with those in need.
Real worship costs. David knew this and said: "I will not offer to the LORD my God sacrifices that have cost me nothing."
One thing worship costs us is our self-centeredness. You cannot exalt43 God and yourself at the same time. You don't worship to be seen by others or to please yourself. You deliberately44 shift the focus off yourself.
Real worship is rooted in the word,
When Jesus said, "Love God with all your strength,' he pointed45 out that worship takes effort and
energy. It is not always convenient or comfortable, and sometimes worship is a sheer act of the will-a willing sacrifice. Passive worship is an oxymoron.
When you praise God even when you don't feel like it, when you get out of bed to worship when you're tired, or when you help others when you are worn out, you are offering a sacrifice of worship to God. That pleases God.
Matt Redman, a worship leader in England, tells how his pastor46 taught his church the real meaning of worship. To show that worship is more than music, he banned all singing in their services for a period of time while they learned to worship in other ways. By the end of that time, Matt had written the classic song "Heart of Worship":
I'll bring You more than a song,
because the song itself is not what You've required.
You search much deeper within
than the way things appear.
You're looking into my heart.
The heart of the matter is a matter of the heart.
DAY THIRTEEN THINKING ABOUT MY PURPOSE
Point to Ponder: God wants all of me.
Verse to Remember: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." Mark 12:30 (NIV)
Question to Consider: Which is more pleasing to God right now-my public worship or my private worship? What will I do about this?
收听单词发音 |
1
obedience
|
|
| n.服从，顺从 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
leftovers
|
|
| n.剩余物，残留物，剩菜 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
irrelevant
|
|
| adj.不恰当的，无关系的，不相干的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
scripture
|
|
| n.经文，圣书，手稿；Scripture:(常用复数)《圣经》，《圣经》中的一段 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
authentic
|
|
| a.真的，真正的；可靠的，可信的，有根据的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
hypocrisy
|
|
| n.伪善，虚伪 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
pretense
|
|
| n.矫饰，做作，借口 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
sincerity
|
|
| n.真诚，诚意；真实 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
equate
|
|
| v.同等看待，使相等 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
sentimental
|
|
| adj.多愁善感的，感伤的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
spotlight
|
|
| n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
distraction
|
|
| n.精神涣散，精神不集中，消遣，娱乐 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
Christian
|
|
| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
Christians
|
|
| n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
standing
|
|
| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
joyful
|
|
| adj.欢乐的，令人欢欣的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
authentically
|
|
| ad.sincerely真诚地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
vibrant
|
|
| adj.震颤的，响亮的，充满活力的，精力充沛的，(色彩)鲜明的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
intentionally
|
|
| ad.故意地，有意地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
intimacy
|
|
| n.熟悉，亲密，密切关系，亲昵的言行 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
solitude
|
|
| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
naturalists
|
|
| n.博物学家( naturalist的名词复数 )；（文学艺术的）自然主义者 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
liturgies
|
|
| n.礼拜仪式( liturgy的名词复数 )；（英国国教的）祈祷书 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
ascetics
|
|
| n.苦行者，禁欲者，禁欲主义者( ascetic的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
simplicity
|
|
| n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
activists
|
|
| n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
injustice
|
|
| n.非正义，不公正，不公平，侵犯（别人的）权利 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
enthusiasts
|
|
| n.热心人，热衷者( enthusiast的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
adoration
|
|
| n.爱慕，崇拜 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
testament
|
|
| n.遗嘱；证明 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
hymns
|
|
| n.赞美诗，圣歌，颂歌( hymn的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
exclamations
|
|
| n.呼喊( exclamation的名词复数 )；感叹；感叹语；感叹词 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
paraphrases
|
|
| n.释义，意译( paraphrase的名词复数 )v.释义，意译( paraphrase的第三人称单数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
|
34
synonyms
|
|
| 同义词( synonym的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
revere
|
|
| vt.尊崇，崇敬，敬畏 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
corporate
|
|
| adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
gatherings
|
|
| 聚集( gathering的名词复数 )； 收集； 采集； 搜集 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
eternity
|
|
| n.不朽，来世；永恒，无穷 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
onward
|
|
| adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
foretold
|
|
| v.预言，预示( foretell的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
humility
|
|
| n.谦逊，谦恭 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
repentance
|
|
| n.懊悔 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
exalt
|
|
| v.赞扬，歌颂，晋升，提升 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
44
deliberately
|
|
| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
45
pointed
|
|
| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
46
pastor
|
|
| n.牧师，牧人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
购买
在百度中搜索