Encounter

"In Your presence, there is freedom. In Your presence, there is hope. In Your presence, there is healing, love restores me; I am whole. No matter how far I run, You are with me. No matter how far I fall" As we sang that song tonight, I was reminded of the message this morning how that true change comes from being in the presence of Jesus. Tonight, we sang, we worshipped, we soaked in God's word. We were in His presence. I was thinking about the moment when Jesus showed up at Martha and Mary's house in Luke chapter 10. Martha is so upset that Mary isn't helping with all of the household chores, the cooking, the cleaning. I mean it was all for Jesus, right? She was so annoyed at the fact that Mary just sat at Jesus' feet, listening to every word. 

But Jesus comforts Martha and says "My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all of these details! There is only one thing to be concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken from her."-Luke 10:41-42 (NLT)

Wait, what's that one thing? Could it be that we have traded the presence of God for busyness? More Christians feel "spiritual" when they're running around doing "ministry", but we forget that the only way we encounter Jesus is simply being in His presence. If we don't take time to worship together, pray together, be encouraged by the Word together, we tend to burn out. In our ashes, we blame everyone around us for not "doing" more or working harder. 

As we lifted our hands and sang our hearts out tonight, I thought of this:

1. Never Underestimate the Power of Worship

Worship is powerful. When we come together and lift our voices to God, it awakens the heavens. After all, that's all the host of heaven is doing...worshipping the King. God loves it; I mean absolutely loves it when His people pour their hearts out in worship. Worship unites hearts, ignites passion, and empowers lives. Never forget that.

2. Worship is Tied to Our Gratitude

I know, there's that word again, right? But it's true. People who aren't grateful have a hard time worshipping. When your gratitude is low, so is your worship. It's hard to lift your hands with clinched fists. People who learn the power of gratitude worship with freedom, passion, and authenticity. If you want to increase your worship, start by increasing your gratitude. 

3. Worship Leads to a Hunger for the God's Word

I always tell our worship pastor, Danya, that my job is easy when the band is on their A game. When they do their job and lead worship with passion and presence, people will amen through my entire message. Why? Because worship is what connects us to the heart of God. And when you connect to His heart, you can't wait to hear from Him. People value the Word of God when they learn to value a life of worship.

I think Mary figured that out.

What an amazing night. I pray that everyone applies the message to their lives and starts this week with an attitude of gratitude and worship. Invite someone to experience Jesus themselves next weekend. This is only the beginning of many "Encounters".