I was leading worship in a local church
a few years ago when we went through an incredible season of visitation
from the Lord. Each Sunday morning during our worship service God
poured out his spirit in visible ways. The congregation was so enraptured
with his presence that they didn't want the worship to end. There
was really no need for a sermon (although one was preached anyway)
because Father was there and desired our undivided attention.
After a month or so of such visitation
the pastors decided to change the way we were structuring the morning
service. In a staff meeting they shared with me that the congregation
was so mesmerized by the presence of God (the song service they
called it) that they didn't hear a word of the sermon. They shared
they were finding it difficult to preach. They had studied and prepared
for a message that they knew God had given them for the people but
the people weren't hearing it.
Disregarding my appeal they decided
to begin the service with one song to bring the people together
then have a few announcements before the sermon. When the sermon
was finished and the invitation given we would end the service with
worship. Want to know what happened to our visitation? Well, after
an hour of listening to a sermon the people were ready to go home.
I am convinced that God left way before the sermon ended.
Our visitation of God's presence
could have led to a habitation of God's presence had not man's programs
gotten in the way. Instead of having worship and the manifest presence
of God as the top priority of our service the "preaching of the
word" became top priority. I would never undermine the importance
of preaching and teaching. These are valuable gifts in the Body
of Christ and are necessary for the growth of the body. But which
does God prefer; worship or preaching? Does God need a sermon? Preaching
is for man, worship is for God. If we take an honest look at our
Sunday morning meetings we will find that most of them are geared
more toward man than toward God. Man's programs, more often than
not, get in the way of God's presence.
If Father comes in his manifest presence
people will repent. If the Father shows up people will be healed
and delivered from demons. How do we get Father to show up in our
meetings? Worship. He inhabits the worship of repentant and broken
worshipers. However the main goal of worship is not to seek the
hand of God but to seek his face. The true worshiper seeks God not
his stuff. The Father is actively seeking such people to worship
him.
