Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father. (Colossians 3:16, 17 NLT)
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. (John 10:10)
The electronic device is activated when it is plugged in.
This reality is a reflection of the great truth that whatever we’re plugged into will determine how we’re activated – how we operate – what will make us function. Faith is fundamental to the life of the follower of Jesus. That faith in God is what activates in us the ability to function in line with His will. That function is activity for sure – in that activity as well, however, is a desire to return to God praise, adoration, diligent, obedient, responsive devotion, and an ongoing passionate love for Him as we’re plugged into Him all the more. This is vibrant worship.
This is the kind that Jesus referred to when He conversed with the woman at the well in John 4. He informed her that, “the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.” (vs 23-24 NLT) That connection to the Father through the Son enables us, by His Spirit, to understand what kind of worship God is seeking. One that is rooted in His being and expressed by His Word. One that recognises that we are configured to offer worship to one we consider greater than us. That recognition also acknowledges the competitors for our desires and devotion – there are idols and false gods that seek our worship – but our deliverance by the Son gives us a renewed perspective. Our sustaining by the Spirit gives a refreshed understanding of how we can engage in total worship to the Father.
That appreciation also goes to the heart of understanding that worship is a lifestyle. As Paul counsels the church in Colossae to let the word about Christ dwell richly among them, that is an encouragement to make it a regular part of our relationships to look for ways to stir our hearts to worship and right relationship constantly through the various means at our disposal. This is who we are as a community, committed to vibrant worship. It involves us interacting with each other and committing to each other in wholehearted participation. This is not a spectator sport that expects us to be fed from a platform. This is something we’ve cultivated over day by day encounters with God in worship, filling us and inspiring us to the point that when we gather, we have something to contribute to build each other. Indeed, there’s a great appreciation that our communal celebration of God builds us and shapes us to be a community known for its devotion to Him.
I recall this being practised from time to time in fellowships in which I had the privilege of taking part. We didn’t wait for the big gathering to share such worship. Whether it was through contact in the week or linking up, there was an enthusiastic desire to share who Jesus is and stir up worship through praise, thanksgiving, songs, teachings, and testimonies of Him. It was a tremendous blessing to learn from brothers and sisters who experienced God’s goodness and great character, and so were eager to share it and build me up to take a few moments to consider how great He is. They were certainly emotional encounters, but it was just as much about what they left as a witness to what it meant to worship God in Spirit and truth, and how that distinguished this kind of worship from the lacklustre type that missed the mark.
As Jesus told the woman at the well and as Paul encouraged the church in Colossae, so there’s an invitation today to experience vibrant worship and be challenged to consider that it should not be limited to the thought of a time singing that picks up the heart rate. It’s an invitation to individual and communal encounters with God based on how we’re plugged into Him by His Spirit, so we can be activated to love Him with all we are.
For His Name’s Sake
C. L. J. Dryden
Shalom
Next Steps
Reflect: Do you regularly experience vibrant worship? Is this something you experience as much in relationships with others as well as on your own?
Pray: Father, as we behold your Son in the wonder of your Spirit, lift our hearts and minds to experience vibrant worship that transforms us to be more like you.
Act: Connect with two friends this week to explore what vibrant worship looks like and arrange a time to share that together, noting what emerges from the experience and how that shapes your understanding of who God is.
