I have a Top-Ten-type list on the way...but as I was attracted to something that was said in an earlier entry. I mentioned a concept that I have not fully developed and it is what I called "Motive-centric Worship."
John 4:24--was a scripture used as a description of what our worship should look like...but never was fully explained. Jesus says to the woman at the well that, "God is a Spirit and those that worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." But, here's an insight, Jesus is responding to the woman's question about worship being tied to location and Jesus gives a law of His Kingdom that worship will no longer be location-centric as under the law, but motive-centric. God is looking at our motives in worship and our willingness to make our worship completely about Him.
When I was a younger Christian (not an age-related thing) I found myself drawn to many stories in the bible and the exchange with the woman at the well and Jesus has always fascinated me. My fascination is not rooted in Jesus proving himself as a prophet or even the woman getting it but it is rooted in verses 19-24. The conversation takes a divine right-hand turn from Jesus digging in the woman's past to worship. I wonder if the woman sensed something more in the presence of Jesus that compelled her to talk about the mount of worship of her fathers (vs. 20). Jesus gives a quick prophetic lesson on salvation in response. Basically making it clear that there is an hour that her location for worship will be trumped by the motivation and the heart of her worship. Paul in Ephesians talks about the covenant the God had with the Jews that allowed them to be considered the chosen, but the Jews used that to become elitist and exclusionary. It is in the grafting in of the Gentiles through Christ (Ephesians 2:8; 14; 3:6) that granted us access beyond the temple.
In the Old Testament, under the Old Covenant the tabernacle (tent of worship) was the contact point of the presence of God demonstrated through the Ark of the Covenant. In the New Covenant the point of contact to the presence of God is The Holy Spirit (Acts 2). In the presence of the Holy Spirit honest and true motives are integral and important (don't get it twisted that motives were not important under the old covenant...check the story of Cain and Abel in Genesis 4). This is particularly evident in the story of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5. Our motives matter more to God than our expression in our worship (widow's mite, Ananias and Sapphira). God is looking for his Church to check its motives when we worship...shed our religiousity and our pompousity and judgmental natures. The motives of God's people matter and our breakthrough and deliverance is connected to them. No longer is our worship tied to a location but to the omnicient, omnipresent and omnipotent God that has done radical things to save and transform us.
God Bless until Next Time (Happy 2010!!),
Ernest
