Our Heart of Worship

 “I remember hearing the "Heart of Worship" for the first time, it was not only heart felt, but listening to the lyrics allowed me to understand that God wants more that a "pretense" or false worship. I was not on a worship team at the time, but knew that it was a song that I wanted to learn and play over and over again.  

Matt Redman’s home church in Watford England was going thru a tough time spiritually, but the people were only there to hear the music and the band. Mike Pilivachi, who was the pastor of the church  asked his congregation, 

“what they were bringing to God in worship, or if they were just there as consumers, soaking up the music?” 

His point was that the band and church had lost their way in worship, and the only solution was to strip out every diversion and distraction; and that included the entire sound system and the worship band.

Then the Music Faded... Initially, Matt remembers, ‘unplugging’ just led to an embarrassing silence. But eventually the congregation rediscovered their own voices, singing  unaccompanied, offering up heartfelt prayers and encountering God in a fresh way. By the time they felt sufficiently ready to reintroduce the musicians and sound system, the church had found a new perspective on worship: that it’s all about Jesus, and that it demands a response from the heart.

Jesus after being challenged by the Pharisees about the Word of God, told them in Luke 20 beginning in verse Forty Five, thru chapter 21, 

“And in the hearing of all the people he said to his disciples, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation. “Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.””‭(ESV‬‬)

We can dress to the impress and pray so impressively and loudly, put in "fat" checks into the offering basket, but if our heart is not in it, or our heart is not right, what good is it? People forget that God doesn't need our money, and repetitive winded prayers, our war stories of missions, and even our ministry can lose luster and worth. I've seen people get mad over stupid issues with missions, music and giving that I shake my head and wonder, how sad it is, not only for the person, but also the church as a whole and again we wonder why churches are losing people and the Spirit of God no longer dwells in those places. Matt Redman when writing this and first time he played it, felt the people getting it, but like anything else, we all have to figure out our walk and what it is that we need to correct so that we remember that its all about Jesus. Like David cried out in Psalm 51, 

“You don't desire burnt offerings, you desire a broken and contrite heart’” 

so should our hearts cry and our worship and all we do for God be of the same mindset. Our worship isn’t just about music and gimmicks and making people laugh and or water down the gospel, but it should be about glorifying God in all we do, with all of our hearts and minds, and souls. Is it truly all about Jesus?” 

Jose Barajas