Not many people in the majority of today’s societies would fall flat on their faces out of respect and humility for anyone else, unless it was out of fear for their lives, loved ones or utter gratitude for their safety and protection from devastation. God deserves worship. We can either accept and worship him in gratitude or down before him in fear until in order to obtain mercy. If we want to learn how to worship God we need to learn how to completely humble ourselves and acknowledge who he is according to the word of God and obtain his love, mercy and salvation.
Worshipping God is not just about singing. Worshipping God is not just about the posture of our body. Worshipping God is about our will, mind, heart and all that we are surrendering to Him.
God wants a people whose hearts offer up everything that they are in worship to him (Mat 22:37)(Jn 4:23-24). This worship is not meant to be just in the quiet times, during praise and worship, or a certain time of the day, but an attitude that we cultivate all the time (Heb 13:15). We are to be living sacrifices offered holy and acceptable to him who called us (Rom 12:1). Just as God who called us is holy, so we also should also be holy, see Holiness (1 Pe 1:16). Holiness is literally giving everything over, even to destruction, it is not about trying to live a pure life, or living right, it is much more than that (1 Pe 2:5).
I want you to remember the word everything, it will recur frequently in this message and it is probably one of the most important descriptions of how we are meant to live for God.
For God so love the world that he gave his only begotten son (Jn 3:16). He gave everything. The fact that he sent his son is significant, prophetic and full of faith. God is always full of faith because he is faithful. If we are to be a faithful people we need to learn to give everything that we are every day.
We know of Abram who became the father of many nations (Gen 17:5), he believed God, reckoned that God was not a liar and because he trusted God he was approved and considered righteous because God himself accredited this righteousness to him. This righteousness was a gift and it was not earned, he merely chose to believe God and not even withhold his only begotten son from God.
Now it is clear that if a father has a son often the hope, aspirations, characteristics and future plans are within that offspring. In regards to Abraham, it was clear that all the promises of God would actually be in Abraham’s son. We often hear that we should give all our negative things to God as we surrender to him, our sin, our hurt, our past, but what about the beautiful things? What about the lovely things that we have in our lives and in our heart? But in reality God wants everything. We are often told that we should hold on to promises of God. But even though I understand that sentiment, this is incorrect. We should never hold on to anything but Jesus Christ.
We know that those who have been forgiven much love much, but do you know what that is? They love much because they have received much. The way to receive much is to be empty. If we have not given everything to God then even though he has given us all things we can only obtain where there is room to receive him.
Abraham knew God. He knew that listening to God’s voice was crucial for his future prosperity and life itself. It was not about merely knowing the promises of God (Gen 17:2-9). If is was then he would not have been willing to sacrifice his son Isaac because the promises of God were through his own son (Gen 17:19). Abraham realised that he had to be sensitive to the voice of God and have a relationship with him. He knew that he had to be empty of his own ideas and willing surrender his will to God and believe that God had the power to fulfil his purposes through, even though he was just an ordinary man. So when God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son (Gen 22:2), he did not struggle with what God was going to do. He trusted God’s character and even though he didn’t understand fully what God would do prophetically declared that God would provide a lamb (Gen 17:19). Yet Abraham was flexible enough to hear God at the right time and not to sacrifice his son. Timing and flexibility are all important. Many of our religious mindsets would have convinced us that the enemy was trying to thwart God’s plans and killed Isaac if we were in Abrahams shoes.
God wants all of our hearts so that we can hear clearly, receive abundantly and walk in freedom as we follow the Lord Jesus. Because Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son, and all the promises and future in God, he was able to receive much more than he ever imagined. Because Abraham offered up his son (Gen 22:16), God later offered his own son as a sacrifice . God expects us to give everything because he gave everything. God wants us to be full of faith because he is. If we lose our lives we will save it (Mt 16:25).
What is in your heart today? It doesn’t matter what it is, are you willing to surrender it up to God and let it go. It is fear, hurt, anger, abuse or is it something you consider beautiful, a relationship, a dream or something you believe you cannot live without? Whatever it is, if you give it up God will give you more, much more, as you listen to him.
Have you lost direction, are you confused? God knows that the enemy loves to torment his creation. The enemy can use whatever is in our hearts that is not God himself. Whatever bread we are feeding on, that is not God, will never sustain us. The enemy often uses the very promises of God to lead people astray, that is why the enemy knows the word of God so well. He even tried to use the promises of God to lead Jesus astray, but Jesus had a heart full of pleasing the father. Because Jesus surrendered everything to God and trusted his father in everything, everything he did revolved around listening to him and doing what he saw his father do.
If we give everything, we can receive everything. Do you want more of God, let go of everything that you have in your heart. So that you can have the fullness of God himself. Remember if you want everything then give everything, do not hold onto anything as it will decay like the manna in the wilderness and corrupt you. Come clean to God everyday, knowing that his mercies are new every morning and great is his faithfulness.
It should be noted that to give everything that you have in your heart means to love God and let go of things in your heart and mind that either limit your relationship with God or you feel you cannot live without. God should be first in everything. It doesn’t mean to empty yourself of your personality, or empty your mind in a passive sense on similar lines to eastern philosophy.
We are meant to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. God is the author of life itself and everything good and perfect thing was made by him. If we seek him and his kingdom first, he promises to reward those who seek him and give us everything we need. Trust him and acknowledge him. We can only worship God through the ability of the Holy Spirit through faith in Jesus Christ. If we believe we worship without Jesus then we are in error.
Wherever you are in your life, whatever circumstances are in your life, STOP. Turn to God, surrender to Jesus and give him EVERYTHING.
