Just a few weeks ago I started leading worship our youth group. It has propelled me into to a rich, and compassionate desire for discovering new music, deeper worship songs. While I cherish the songs that brought me into a growing relationship with Christ, I realize that we must move forward and take new steps to go further in Christ. It would be a loss to remain stagnant in our faith, the point of salvation, the point of experiencing the cross. A moment I cherish with deep sanctity, was the moment I personally experienced the passion of the cross in my own life, late one night sitting by the front fountain on the campus of Southeastern.
Like the woman at the well, I had questions, and began desperately seeking answers from my Messiah – a seemingly far off Maker. Sitting there that night he led me thru Matthew’s account (ch.27), Mark’s (ch. 15) then Luke’s (ch. 23)…and then John (ch. 19). Every detail of the cross, his death and resurrection, began washing my stained, undeserving heart. He revealed him self to me, just like John 4:26, “I who speak to you am He.” He taught me more in that moment than he ever had, impressing my heart with his love for me, with the truth of what was truly inside of me, and with his purpose for the future..”yet a time is coming!”
John 4 says from the ESV Study Bible:
21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is a from the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” 25 The woman said to him, “I know that f Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.” 26 Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.”
Spirit and in Truth – the kind of worshipers the Father is seeking, the kind I have committed my heart and my worship to. I must worship him in that place.
Longing to go deeper to move further. My personal experience at the fountain changed my life and my heart for Christ, the Messiah, forever. But I cannot remain at that fountain, I must know him in new ways in new truths. I feel that our worship experience in the church must reflect, in spirit, and in truth, our walk with Christ. “So, take me to that place Lord, to that Secret place where I can be with you, You can make me like you, Wrap me in your arms.”
Our worship experience should always MOVE us. It should NEVER become something we observe or witness, but rather EXPERIENCE. If we are not changed by our worship…it is not worship. It’s a song, words and clanging sounds. Last month I heard this song, “Alabaster Jar” for the first time, and it enabled me to worship Christ in a new way, with a new truth, that refreshed that same spirit inside of me, that spirit that met me at the fountain one night on a college campus so many years ago…We need to experience this type of “worship” daily with our Father. Seek it out, you will find it.