Worship
What Isaiah teaches us about worship
Hi everyone, I love Isaiah 6 - ‘Isaiah’s vision of the Lord,’ I think it reveals to us a powerful model for our sung worship.
I'm sure some will agree, It can be so easy to lose sight of the privilege we have to be able to worship God together so here are 3 simple R's to guide us.
REMEMBER
Worship leads to remembrance:
1In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3And one called to another and said:”Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” 4And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke.
We see in Isaiah’s vision that as the seraphs declare God’s character, His greatness, His authority, His Triune nature (trihagion – Holy, Holy, Holy,) the foundations shook and the house was filled with smoke (a sign of God’s presence) the atmosphere changes. I think it’s important we start our corporate worship with scripture/songs/liturgies that help us remember the great I AM; the God who was, the God who is, the God who ever will be. As we worship Him the atmosphere changes.
REPENT
Worship leads to repentance:
5And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” 6Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”
As we see who God is, we see who we are. Personally, I think confession is an important part of our corporate worship (and it's something I do every service regardless if it's led from the front) As we allow the Spirit to convict us (it’s important we don’t confuse this word with condemnation, that’s not from the Spirit) we see the ways we have fallen short and the ways we have allowed other ‘gods’ to sit on the throne of our hearts.
But, praise God that in Jesus, his blood shed for us, forgiveness is only a prayer away! We too can hear the words ‘your guilt is taken away, and your sin is atoned for’.
RESPOND
Worship leads to further response:
8And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.” 9And he said, “Go…
As we encounter God together, are convicted by His Spirit, find forgiveness in His Son and are shaped by His word, we too should daily bring the response ‘Lord, here am I, send me!’ |
