The Heart of Worship (by Chad Crooks)

It’s just about the greatest job in the world!  Not only do I get to do what I love, I get paid for it.  Leading God’s people in worship is one of the most exciting, enjoyable, fulfilling, life-changing jobs in the world. We get to help people do what they were designed to do – glorify the living God. We get to point hearts toward One who is greater than we can imagine. We get to put in view the Savior of the world who died, was buried, rose again, and now sits at the right hand of the Father bidding on our behalf.

We have to deal with our own heart.You haven’t spent more than 5 minutes in God’s Word or praying in weeks. There is never enough time to get everything done. You feel unworthy to even stand in front of the very people you serve. Despite the pain and difficulties, the joys outweigh the issues. There is no way you could stop doing this. The key is your heart.

Whether a worship leader or a worshiper, what you bring as an offering of worship is your greatest challenge. We each have a battle going on within us over what we love the most – God or something else.  Anytime it is something else, we are guilty of idolatry.

Idols are all around us – material comforts, financial security, sensual pleasures, newest song, electronic gadgets, reputation, power, control.  We are often just like the people described in 2 Kings 17:33, fearing the Lord, yet serving their own Gods. We fear the Lord externally, doing the right things on Sunday morning, yet actively serving false gods throughout the week.

Exodus 20:3 says, “You shall have no other gods before Me."

Mark 12:30 says, “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.”

These verses do not mean we can’t love anything else, but they do mean that we cannot love anything else rightly, unless we love God first and foremost. How do I know what I love most? Bob Kauflin answers this way, “By looking at my life outside of Sunday morning. What do I enjoy the most? What do I spend most of my time doing? Where does my mind drift to when I don’t have anything to do? What am I passionate about? What do I spend my money on? What makes me angry when I don’t get my way? What do I feel depressed about? What do I fear losing the most?  Our answers to these questions will lead us straight to the God or gods we love and worship.”

The state of our hearts must be our primary concern as we live the life of a worshiper.

The Heart of Worship (Matt Redman)

When the music fades all is stripped away, And I simply come

Longing just to bring something that's of worth, That will bless Your heart

I'll bring You more than a song, For a song in itself is not what You have required

You search much deeper within, Through the way things appear, You're looking into my heart

I'm coming back to the heart of worship, And it's all about You all about You Jesus

I'm sorry Lord for the thing I've made it, When it's all about You all about You Jesus