"WORSHIP FROM THE HEART"

"God is Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and truth." John 4:24

As Jesus lives in our heart by faith, His Holy Spirit will work through Word and Sacraments to spiritualize our worship. Therefore, it is our heart that must go to church, not merely our well-dressed body. And our heart will go to church if, so to speak, we make it a temple of the
Holy Spirit. All our worship is meaningless motion and voiceless sound, going nowhere, unless it comes from the heart of the child of God.

"O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker." Psalm 95:6

We can worship God in public and in private. Whatever way we choose, our faith and a feeling of gratitude to God for His many blessings, motivates our worship.

"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God." Romans 10:17

Sunday, the Lord's Day, has various meanings to certain individuals. For Christians, Sunday is the main day of church worship because when our ears and hearts hear the Word o God, the Holy Spirit strengthens our faith. However, some people consider Sunday as a time for rest
and recreation; for playing golf, or a picnic in a park somewhere, enjoying nature. It's true that nature does reveal God's Majesty, however, we need more than that. We all know God is our Creator ~ we also need to know Him as our Redeemer and Sanctifier. For that, we need the Word of God and the Holy Spirit, who works through that Word.

"One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple." Psalm 27:4

When the Romans built a wall across northern England, they placed a tower at intervals of every mile. These towers provided elevated "watch" points. When God built the battlements of the Christian life, He placed at every seventh day, a day that is thrust above life's common
level for the safeguarding of our hearts and souls. On that day (Sunday) we behold the Lord's beauty, giving heartfelt thanks and praise to Him!

"And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." Matthew 4:9,10

For Christ to fall down and worship Satan would have been acknowledge the devil's lordship over Him. In his direct rebuke, "Get thee hence, Satan," Jesus clearly asserts His lordship over the old serpent, whose head He will soon crush. How often are we tempted by Satan? All the time, are we not? Does he tempt us with excuses on Sunday mornings, evenings, or other church functions we plan to attend? Sure he does ~ his greatest attempt would be to keep us from the Lord! Are we letting him hold us back because he has put in our minds that we're not feeling all that well? Guilty?! I know I am! Wouldn't it be possible that perhaps we'd feel better if we were to fellowship with our brother's and sister's in Christ ~ letting God's
Word absorb our minds, hearts and souls? Surely, we can do as Jesus did, and say, "Get thee hence Satan," for today I will worship the Lord!

"For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in
your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;  And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God." Ephesians 3:14-19

These words were delivered by Apostle Paul on a mission to the Gentiles in Ephesus. In these verses Paul makes three prayer requests for the addressees: (1) That they would "be strengthened with might b his Spirit", that is that they be divinely enabled to successfully live the Christian life; (2) That the readers "be able to comprehend"..."the love of Christ," that is, to better understand the enormous love Christ has for them; And (3) that they "might be filled
with all the fullness of God," that is, that the life, character, and virtues of God Himself may be fully developed in them. These verses, among many others throughout the Bible, portray a beautiful display of prayer and worship coming from the heart filled with faith.

Application: Sometimes our feelings are not as strong as they need to be. But the more we worship with our fellow Christians, the more joy will come ~ through Scripture reading, the Lord's supper, the pastor's message, prayer, hymns of praise, and the encouragement of other Christians. Don't go to church because you "feel obligated". Go to praise God, with heartfelt thanks in receiving new Spiritual strength in Christ through Word and Sacrament.

Today's Devotion: "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." Proverbs 4:23