Quote from Forum Archives on June 5, 2000, 12:38 pm

Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>

Dear friends,

I have really enjoyed, for the past couple of months, reading Bob Kauflin's
comments entitled, "Worship Matters". For me, this has been more than
just a discussion about how to play contemporary music in church or
how to build the finest choir. Bob has talked some about music and its
role in worship, but he has spent much more time thinking about the word,
"worship" itself, what it means, the fact that this specific word is very
little used, if at all, in scripture, yet how the worth of God, our
relationship to Him, our attention to Him, and our response to Him, are
so important.

All during the winter and spring months, Brenda and I had been planning
our upcoming marriage and thought about many things, including what kind
of a spiritual climate we would have in our house, and where we would go
to church to honor God and keep learning about His ways.

I was very content in the place of worship that I went to prior to our
engagement. In fact, I miss the people from my church, though I have
found other friendly people to worship with. But as I thought about it
all, it was not the building, the people, or the denomination, or anything
of the kind that mattered most to me. Don't get me wrong; I really like
people, and I really miss my friends. Even so, the key point about worship
is my own personal relationship with God.

This is the very message that Bob Kauflin brings out in this final message
in his series. If you are interested at all in church worship, but more
importantly, you are interested in knowing about the importance of a
relationship with God, this is a good article to read. It is longer than
many of the short daily devotionals, but I think it is worthwhile to think
about. Please save it for a time and a place when you can think about it.

Brother Brian

--- Worship Matters <listreplies@crosswalk.com> wrote:
> Date: Mon, 05 Jun 2000 11:00:04 -0400
> Subject: WM 011 - What Really Matters: Conclusion
> To: <masinick@yahoo.com>
> From: Worship Matters <listreplies@crosswalk.com>
> Reply-to: Confirm My Subscription <worship-confirm@crosswalk.com>
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> What Really Matters: Conclusion (Part 11)
> by Bob Kauflin, PDI Ministries
>
>
> Here we are -- the last of 11 columns discussing what
> worship is ... and isn't. Most recently, we've been looking
> at the non-negotiables of God-honoring worship. We've seen
> how worship is to be Focused on God and Fueled by Faith.
> Last week, when discussing how worship is to be Fulfilled in
> Life, we reviewed some of the reasons why, under the New
> Covenant, worship has become a "life" issue, not simply a
> weekly event.
>
> Indeed, the ultimate challenge of worship in spirit and
> truth -- worship that pleases God -- is not "How do I make a
> church meeting God-centered?" but "How do I make my life
> God-centered?" In wrapping up this topic, I'd like to share
> a few more thoughts on that thoroughly biblical and
> gloriously radical perspective.
>
> THE GODWARD LIFE
>
> I have led worship in churches for more than 20 years.
> Like all worship leaders, I've had my share of equipment
> problems, off-key vocalists (including myself), unresponsive
> congregations, and small surprises (like when the operator
> of the overhead projector doesn't seem to have ANY of the
> songs). I've also had moments of incredible intimacy with
> God, when I was completely undone by His glory and mercy.
>
> But that does not make me a worshiper. My most difficult
> task in regard to worship is not deciding on songs or
> leading them, but seeking to honor God in my daily decisions
> and thoughts. Giving God glory in front of a crowd is SO
> much easier than being grateful when I don't get credit for
> something I've done, or when someone else is promoted
> instead of me. That's when I find out if I am truly
> interested in worshiping God -- or myself.
>
> When I think of worship, I want to think not only about
> special experiences or what happens on Sunday mornings. I
> want to consider how I drive my car, how I speak to my
> children, how I dress (and why), how I spend my money ...
> that I might "do it all for the glory of God" (1 Corinthians
> 10:31).
>
> D.A. Carson has written, "Worship, embracing both
> adoration and action, is nothing but the outworking of
> God-centredness in the individual and corporate experience
> of the people of God." That is, regardless of location,
> form, style, time of day, circumstance, or challenges, a
> worshiper worships God.
>
> In my second Worship Matters column I noted how only one
> thing really matters at a wedding: two people getting
> married. How sad it would be for someone to sit in wedding
> after wedding, critiquing the form, the style, and the
> appearance of the couples, yet never rejoicing in, never
> celebrating the mystery of a man and woman becoming husband
> and wife through the miracle of marriage.
>
> How much sadder that we endlessly debate the secondary
> points of worship, and miss what really matters: The
> Almighty Creator, God of the Universe, has called us to
> enjoy an intimate relationship with Himself. Through the
> perfect sacrifice of His Son, we are now able to proclaim
> His greatness and His glory both as individuals and
> together, through our words and our lives, and not only in
> meetings, but in every moment of life.
>
> Have you ever imagined heaven being one worship meeting
> after another for all eternity? I have. But the Bible
> suggests that the essence of heaven will be life lived at a
> new level, where every thought, emotion, word, and action is
> an ongoing response of gratitude, praise, and worship to the
> true God, our Creator/Redeemer, the one from whom, through
> whom, and to whom are all things. Lord, make us aware of how
> we can live that way THIS side of eternity!
>
>
> STARTING NEXT WEEK: When it comes to worship music, are you
> a solid traditionalist, a "hymns-only" sort of Christian?
> Are you at the other end of the spectrum, automatically
> distrusting any worship music that was written before, say,
> 1970? Wherever you stand on this issue, I think you'll enjoy
> the next several columns, as we explore together the
> relative merits of worship music, ancient and modern.
>
> For His Glory,
>
> Bob Kauflin
>
>
> Hear Bob and other great speakers at PDI's annual
> worship conference, "A Passion for the Glory of God,"
> held August 9 through 12 in Gaithersburg, MD. Also
> participate in workshops, classes &, of course, worship!
> Send your mailing address to < music@pdinet.org > to
> receive a conference brochure AND get a FREE 14-song
> music sampler from PDI Music!
>
>
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=====
--
Brian Masinick, "The Mas", mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: www.geocities.com/masinick/
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