4/20/23
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| In loving memory of my father Robert Louis (Bob) Padgett July 28, 1931-May 22, 2023 |
The purpose of this message is to help us to see the relationship between the presence of the Lord, worship, and our worship services. Hopefully, this will help us to understand how we can walk more fully in the reality of the Lord. Literally dozens of verses in scripture speak of the presence of the Lord, which presence has both a personal and a corporate application. Where is the Lord? The Lord is omnipresent by and through His Spirit.
God is holy and that which is of sin cannot be in His presence. Immediately after the fall of man in the garden of Eden,
What a terrible tragedy it must be to go out from the presence of the Lord!
After Job lost his children and all of his goods, we read, in Job 1:20-22,
Because the heart of Job was so right, the Lord never forsook him. The presence of the Lord always hovered over Job. Likewise, no matter what we may lose in our life, we don't want to lose the presence of the Lord.
Moses understood the importance of the presence of the Lord.
Two aspects that go along with the presence of the Lord are His Light and His Glory.
Those who come from the presence of God bring with them the light of God. "Come ye out" rings out several times throughout the Bible as the Lord calls His people to cut our connection with sin and the world and stand pure and holy in His presence. We come out first in our heart and we must maintain aloofness from the things of the world. We are in the world but not of the world. We are citizens of a heavenly kingdom.
Mark 9:2-10 records the account of when Jesus took Peter, James, and John up into an high mountain apart, and Jesus was transfigured before them. Immediately after they came down from the mountain, we read, in
When the people were amazed, Jesus had not done anything and He had not said anything. He was just there! Why were the people amazed? Because they saw a different light in His countenance! They saw the glory of God in His face. Apparently, this light continued for quite some time because we see the same statement in Mark 10:32.
The glory of the Lord denotes the revelation of God's being, nature, and presence to mankind, usually with physical phenomena or a manifestation of His Person or His power. Christians often speak of the manifest presence of the Lord.
"Bring an offering" in verse 29 does not mean to put a few shekels in the offering plate every Sunday. Man may need our money but the Lord does not need our money. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills. Our whole spirit, soul, and body constitutes our burnt offering. Jesus, as a Man on earth, was such an offering. So was Paul, who said, in 2 Timothy 4:6-8,
What a TRAGEDY it is to be in the presence of the Lord, and not know it! Two results of the presence of the Lord are fulness of joy ... joy unspeakable and full of glory ... and pleasures for evermore ... pleasures that FAR exceed any that we could ever have in the natural realm.
Another result of the presence of the Lord is that things HAPPEN! Even the devils tremble at the presence of the Lord (James 2:19).
How do we enter into His presence?
First of all, we can NOT enter into His presence or be aware of His presence by our own works, strength, or power. We enter into his presence by His grace and mercy and by keeping our garments clean. Because no flesh can glory in His presence and because no sin can be in His presence, it is vital that we keep our garments clean.
Where was Jesus when He said those words recorded in John 17? in the realm of the Spirit. We also have responsibilities in order to enter into His presence.
I am sure that you have experienced some meetings of believers that never seem to get off the ground whereas in others the presence of the Lord is manifested. If we want to sense the manifest presence of the Lord and bathe in His Light and Glory, then we must go to the assembly of believers with ONE thought in mind ... to praise and worship the King of kings and Lord of lords and to give Him the glory.
I am not a person who is naturally oriented toward a great display of emotions. But in the summer of 1998, I thought that I might be translated. I was listening to two songs on a cassette tape over and over again for a period of about one hour. The titles of the two songs are "The Servant King" and "Spirit of the Living God, Fall Afresh on Me." Some of the words to "The Servant King" are as follows.
From Heaven, You came helpless babe,
Many believers quote John 4:24, but what does that really mean? Worship is not defined by the outward manifestations of the people. Any doing involved with worship must spring forth from a state of being. Where do we miss the mark concerning worship? We focus on what we do, rather than on what the Spirit of God wants to do or on what we should become. We get into a routine, a format, and the life of the Spirit departs. Nothing may be done to excite or stimulate the flesh in the assembly of believers. All must be of the Spirit and led by the Spirit. To worship in spirit is to allow the Holy Spirit to move upon the believer's redeemed spirit, causing love, devotion, honor, and respect to ascend to God. To worship in truth is to worship according to the rhema Word of God.
The first occurrence of worship is in Genesis 22:1-6, when Abraham was prepared to sacrifice his only son. The Lord never promised Abraham anything in exchange for sacrificing his only son, Isaac. Neither did Abraham ask for anything in return for sacrificing his only son. When the Lord told Abraham to go and sacrifice his only son, Abraham simply said, Yes, Lord. He asked no questions; he simply obeyed! Since this test was from God and since this is true worship, we must conclude that there is nothing about the flesh that can be offered to and accepted by God as worship.
Therefore, from Scripture, true worship is defined by our voluntary, unquestioned obedience to the rhema word of the Lord as revealed by the Holy Ghost. Further, worship springs out of a pure heart that fears God and moves by faith.
Although there are many physical, outward expressions or forms of worship, worship is our inner attitude or state of our heart toward God. God is after our heart, not a routine. Worship never asks for something for me but desires to give everything to the Lord. There is nothing in our emotional realm that can substitute for worship.
Now, how about corporate worship?
The following is a testimony of Marion Fretwell, a precious and very mature brother in Christ. He always lived on the west coast, mostly in Yakima, Washington. (quote)
The Spring of 1951 has lingered in my memory because of the experiences I had then. I was a young man then, full of zeal which often over ran what wisdom I had.
God had done a new thing in the earth a few months prior, which was called the "Latter Rain" for lack of a better means of identification. It had started in a Bible School in North Battleford, Saskatchewan, Canada. It spread quickly, though the brethren in charge of the Bible School had not tried to advertise what was taking place. They did not put a name on it - that was done later by the folks south of the border. It caused some irritation to the Canadian brothers, but it was quickly out of their hands.
They were awed by the magnitude of the move in their midst, and vowed to never try to control what God had started in their school. This idea prevailed for a long time, but human nature being what it is, the resolve would, in time, be over ruled by the need for some sort of human guidance. Not that God had desired it, but the men felt it was getting out of hand, and would miss the mark of what they thought it was intended to accomplish.
In attempting to "guide" the "Move of God", they inadvertently found themselves at the "head" of what was to become another "machine made by Gene."
It was just as well, for there were several other "Genes" who "made a machine" from that same moving of God's hand. Some of the more prominent ones were in Detroit, Portland, and Vancouver, BC. There were many more to follow, scattered over the globe.
Each "machine" was cranking out different ideas of what the "revival" was all about. Ideologies were flying like birds in the air, thick enough to "darken" the light of what God was trying to do in the earth.
The Canadian folks held a "Feast of Pentecost" convention each Spring. Ralph Megrew and I went in 1951, driving his new Studebaker car.
At Edmonton we were informed that the main road to North Battleford was under water from melting snow. There was another road (unpaved) above water, so we started out. It was about five hours normally, but the frost was coming out of the ground, and the rolls kept us from making good time. Midnight.
It was at that Feast of Pentecost that I caught a glimpse of the true meaning of God's people gathering to worship Him.
My sleeping room was in an office adjoining the auditorium where the services were held. The building was an old Army barracks. Their "pews" were planks on various types of supports, with no back rests. Yet, each morning shortly after six o'clock people started gathering. Some prayed while others worshipped. By nine o'clock there was standing room only.
No one talked to their neighbors or friends, yet there was a steady sound of worship to God. A chorus would be started, and everyone joined in (all without instruments) for a round or two of that chorus. Then the steady sound of worship would resume for a while until someone else started a chorus. This continued from the first people into the auditorium until when the leaders came in at ten o'clock to start the service. There was no need for a "warm up" with a song service. They started teaching right away.
I determined while there that I would try to train the folks in Yakima to do the same. When I returned, we STRONGLY discouraged any talking in the sanctuary before service. We URGED the folks to begin worshipping when they entered the building. Before long, we had them fairly well trained this way, and it sure did change the atmosphere when we gathered.
Believe it or not, I could often tell who had come in to the building by the "atmosphere" which accompanied them as they entered to worship. I always sat on the front row, and never looked back. Those were awe inspiring times - precious to us.
God honored our reverence in the House of God by stretching forth His Hand to perform various miracles from time to time. (end quote)
Many years ago, I went with a good brother to a weekend convention in southeast Pennsylvania. Because of the length of the trip, we arrived about 20 minutes before the scheduled start of the first gathering. We went into the old brick structure and sat down beside perhaps another 12 or 15 believers. On the other side of the center aisle, another 12 or 15 believers had also arrived early. The folks around us started smiling, laughing, and chatting about worldly things. After a few minutes, I spoke up and said, in a voice loud enough to be heard in the whole auditorium, "Why do we have to wait for the official starting time of the gathering? Why can't we just start worshipping the Lord now?" There was silence for quite some time, but no one else said a word. Of course, that scenario is repeated in almost every church. It seems to be a tradition that if we arrive early to our church gathering, we smile, shake hands, and engage in socialization or small talk until the meeting officially starts. Do you think that is pleasing to the Lord? Do you really believe that worship begins when the meeting starts and worship ends when the meeting ends? That is why I shared Marion Fretwell's testimony. When he saw that great revival in Canada, he determined to teach the church where he was the pastor the same principle of worship, and the Lord honored his boldness. Obviously, that function must be implemented by the pastor of a church. I sincerely doubt that few, if any, pastors today have taught or even thinks about teaching that in their church. Would that every pastor could hear, understand, and walk in the significance of Marion's testimony. However, each believer can walk in these truths by the grace and power of God, provided we are willing.
One final thought ... in our quest for more of God in our life, we need to be careful that we do not become self-seeking. The Lord says, "If you will ... then I will." The order is significant. It does not work the other way.
In simple terms, if we want more of the Lord, we need to give Him more of ourselves. May the light and glory of His presence be our ultimate goal. Amen and amen.
Jeremiah 23:24, "Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? Saith the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and earth? Saith the Lord."
God is holy and that which is of sin cannot be in His presence. Immediately after the fall of man in the garden of Eden,
"Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden." Genesis 3:8
And Cain went out from the presence of the Lord ... Genesis 4:16
What a terrible tragedy it must be to go out from the presence of the Lord!
After Job lost his children and all of his goods, we read, in Job 1:20-22,
"Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly."
Because the heart of Job was so right, the Lord never forsook him. The presence of the Lord always hovered over Job. Likewise, no matter what we may lose in our life, we don't want to lose the presence of the Lord.
Moses understood the importance of the presence of the Lord.
Exodus 33:14-15, "And He [the Lord] said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. And he [Moses] said unto Him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence."
After the Lord reassured Moses that His presence would go with him, Moses said:
"I beseech thee, shew me thy glory." Exodus 33:18
Two aspects that go along with the presence of the Lord are His Light and His Glory.
Revelation 18:1, "And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with His glory."
Those who come from the presence of God bring with them the light of God. "Come ye out" rings out several times throughout the Bible as the Lord calls His people to cut our connection with sin and the world and stand pure and holy in His presence. We come out first in our heart and we must maintain aloofness from the things of the world. We are in the world but not of the world. We are citizens of a heavenly kingdom.
Mark 9:2-10 records the account of when Jesus took Peter, James, and John up into an high mountain apart, and Jesus was transfigured before them. Immediately after they came down from the mountain, we read, in
Mark 9:15, "And straitway all the people, when they beheld Him, were greatly amazed, and running to Him saluted Him."
When the people were amazed, Jesus had not done anything and He had not said anything. He was just there! Why were the people amazed? Because they saw a different light in His countenance! They saw the glory of God in His face. Apparently, this light continued for quite some time because we see the same statement in Mark 10:32.
"And they were in the way going up to Jerusalem; and Jesus went before them: and they were amazed; and as they followed, they were afraid."
Again, at that point in time, Jesus had not said anything nor done anything. Evidently the residue of the glory of God still could be seen in the Person of Jesus from His transfiguration.
The same thing happened to Moses. After Moses had been in the presence of the Lord in Mount Sinai for 40 days and 40 nights, he came down to tell the people what the Lord had said to him.
The same thing happened to Moses. After Moses had been in the presence of the Lord in Mount Sinai for 40 days and 40 nights, he came down to tell the people what the Lord had said to him.
Exodus 34:33-35, "And till Moses had done speaking with them, he put a vail on his face. But when Moses went in before the Lord to speak with Him, he took the vail off, until he came out. And he came out, and spake unto the children of Israel that which he was commanded. And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone: and Moses put the vail upon his face again, until he went in to speak with Him."
The glory of the Lord denotes the revelation of God's being, nature, and presence to mankind, usually with physical phenomena or a manifestation of His Person or His power. Christians often speak of the manifest presence of the Lord.
1 Chronicles 16:27-30, "Glory and honour are in His presence; strength and gladness are in His place. Give unto the LORD, ye kindreds of the people, give unto the LORD glory and strength. Give unto the LORD the glory due unto His name: bring an offering, and come before Him: worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness. Fear before Him, all the earth: the world also shall be stable, that it be not moved."
"Bring an offering" in verse 29 does not mean to put a few shekels in the offering plate every Sunday. Man may need our money but the Lord does not need our money. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills. Our whole spirit, soul, and body constitutes our burnt offering. Jesus, as a Man on earth, was such an offering. So was Paul, who said, in 2 Timothy 4:6-8,
"For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing."
The question is, who loves His appearing?
We should also note that when the body of Christ walks in the commandments given in verses 28 and 29 and fears the Lord (as in the first part of verse 30), what happens? from verse 30, the world, or rather the inhabitants of the world, shall be stable. Is the world stable today? of course not. Therefore, the body of Christ is not walking as we should as specified in verses 28 through 30. Those are sobering words.
Moses, the man of the law, told Pharaoh, in Exodus 10:26,
We should also note that when the body of Christ walks in the commandments given in verses 28 and 29 and fears the Lord (as in the first part of verse 30), what happens? from verse 30, the world, or rather the inhabitants of the world, shall be stable. Is the world stable today? of course not. Therefore, the body of Christ is not walking as we should as specified in verses 28 through 30. Those are sobering words.
Moses, the man of the law, told Pharaoh, in Exodus 10:26,
"Our cattle also shall go with us; there shall not an hoof be left behind; for thereof must we take to serve the Lord our God; and we know not with what we must serve the Lord until we come thither."
Corporately, we know not how to worship the Lord until we come to the assembly. ANY worship service that always follows any kind of routine is probably not pleasing to the Lord.
There have been a number of different times in my life when I sensed VERY strongly the presence of the Lord. One such occasion was in the room of my aunt in a nursing home in Charlotte, North Carolina, one Sunday morning in mid-June of 2001. We had been called by my aunt's daughter and told that if we wanted to see my aunt on earth again, we should come to Charlotte as soon as possible. My aunt was somewhat like my maternal grandmother. She was 87 at the time that she went to be with the Lord. She had a very simple relationship with the Lord. She never made a "name" for herself. She just had a tender heart for the Lord. She also had picked up the mantle of intercession from her mother (my grandmother). When my wife and I and our oldest daughter, Lisa, went into my aunt's room in that nursing home on Sunday morning, about 9 days before the Lord took her home, my aunt was very pitiful in the natural realm. My wife said that at first she could not recognize my aunt, who had lost a lot of weight, could scarcely speak or eat, and certainly could not stand or even sit up in her own strength. A beautiful CD was playing at her bedside ... some VERY beautiful instrumental songs of praise and worship. At one point as I prayed for my aunt, a beautiful, Spirit-filled Christian, the Lord gave me a word of prophecy for her. The only problem was that I had difficulty speaking myself because I was so overcome by the presence of the Lord in her room and in my aunt, that I was weeping. My aunt struggled to speak. She said, "Don't cry, Bob!" My aunt glorified the Lord in her dying days perhaps more than ever in her life. She was not sad! She was rejoicing that she was going to be with the Lord! My wife and l and our daughter Lisa were ALL weeping, not so much because it was time for the Lord to take my aunt home, but because we were so overcome by the presence of the Lord. A little later that morning, my aunt's daughter came into the room. She told me that there was a group of people in the dining room who were conducting a church service. After all, it was Sunday, and that is the day that we are supposed to do those things, right? She said that the people in the dining room were singing "Victory in Jesus," and she suggested that I might want to go join that church service. I just nodded but said nothing. But what went through my mind was, "Why would I want to go to that church service? They may have all the right words and all the right songs, but the presence of the Lord is right here in THIS room." Lisa said that from the moment she walked into that room the presence of the Lord was so strong that she had to step out of the room for a few minutes. Lisa said she had never in her life experienced the presence of the Lord so strongly, before or since. I don't know about you but I don't care about all of the right forms, traditions, doctrines, and rituals. I want to be in the presence of the Lord! If the presence of the Lord is not there, then all of our church services are but wood, hay, and stubble!
Millions of professing Christians gather together every Sunday morning, but for the most part they gather together out of tradition or because that is what a "good" Christian should do. But unless the Spirit of God gathers us together, then we are no more than a Kiwanis Club. Something very positive always results from two or three being gathered together by the Spirit of God.
Leonard Ravenhill, a highly anointed 20th century evangelist, once said, (quote) "I'm sick to death of the so-called Christianity of our day. When do people come out of the sanctuary awed and can't speak for an hour because God has been in glory there? Dear God, as soon as they get out, they're talking football, or sports or something or there's going to be a big sale downtown or somewhere. We are not caught up into eternity!
When did you last tip-toe out of the sanctuary? When you couldn't say a word to anybody because you were so overwhelmed with the glory of God?
I'd rather have 10 people that want God than 10,000 people who want to play church." (end quote)
The church today desperately needs hundreds more like Leonard Ravenhill ... men who are not afraid to speak the truth of the word of God without sugar-coating it.
The presence of the Lord is powerful and all encompassing! If we are not deeply moved by the presence of the Lord, then either we need to have our spiritual senses awakened or we have hardened our heart. Jacob said:
There have been a number of different times in my life when I sensed VERY strongly the presence of the Lord. One such occasion was in the room of my aunt in a nursing home in Charlotte, North Carolina, one Sunday morning in mid-June of 2001. We had been called by my aunt's daughter and told that if we wanted to see my aunt on earth again, we should come to Charlotte as soon as possible. My aunt was somewhat like my maternal grandmother. She was 87 at the time that she went to be with the Lord. She had a very simple relationship with the Lord. She never made a "name" for herself. She just had a tender heart for the Lord. She also had picked up the mantle of intercession from her mother (my grandmother). When my wife and I and our oldest daughter, Lisa, went into my aunt's room in that nursing home on Sunday morning, about 9 days before the Lord took her home, my aunt was very pitiful in the natural realm. My wife said that at first she could not recognize my aunt, who had lost a lot of weight, could scarcely speak or eat, and certainly could not stand or even sit up in her own strength. A beautiful CD was playing at her bedside ... some VERY beautiful instrumental songs of praise and worship. At one point as I prayed for my aunt, a beautiful, Spirit-filled Christian, the Lord gave me a word of prophecy for her. The only problem was that I had difficulty speaking myself because I was so overcome by the presence of the Lord in her room and in my aunt, that I was weeping. My aunt struggled to speak. She said, "Don't cry, Bob!" My aunt glorified the Lord in her dying days perhaps more than ever in her life. She was not sad! She was rejoicing that she was going to be with the Lord! My wife and l and our daughter Lisa were ALL weeping, not so much because it was time for the Lord to take my aunt home, but because we were so overcome by the presence of the Lord. A little later that morning, my aunt's daughter came into the room. She told me that there was a group of people in the dining room who were conducting a church service. After all, it was Sunday, and that is the day that we are supposed to do those things, right? She said that the people in the dining room were singing "Victory in Jesus," and she suggested that I might want to go join that church service. I just nodded but said nothing. But what went through my mind was, "Why would I want to go to that church service? They may have all the right words and all the right songs, but the presence of the Lord is right here in THIS room." Lisa said that from the moment she walked into that room the presence of the Lord was so strong that she had to step out of the room for a few minutes. Lisa said she had never in her life experienced the presence of the Lord so strongly, before or since. I don't know about you but I don't care about all of the right forms, traditions, doctrines, and rituals. I want to be in the presence of the Lord! If the presence of the Lord is not there, then all of our church services are but wood, hay, and stubble!
Millions of professing Christians gather together every Sunday morning, but for the most part they gather together out of tradition or because that is what a "good" Christian should do. But unless the Spirit of God gathers us together, then we are no more than a Kiwanis Club. Something very positive always results from two or three being gathered together by the Spirit of God.
Leonard Ravenhill, a highly anointed 20th century evangelist, once said, (quote) "I'm sick to death of the so-called Christianity of our day. When do people come out of the sanctuary awed and can't speak for an hour because God has been in glory there? Dear God, as soon as they get out, they're talking football, or sports or something or there's going to be a big sale downtown or somewhere. We are not caught up into eternity!
When did you last tip-toe out of the sanctuary? When you couldn't say a word to anybody because you were so overwhelmed with the glory of God?
I'd rather have 10 people that want God than 10,000 people who want to play church." (end quote)
The church today desperately needs hundreds more like Leonard Ravenhill ... men who are not afraid to speak the truth of the word of God without sugar-coating it.
The presence of the Lord is powerful and all encompassing! If we are not deeply moved by the presence of the Lord, then either we need to have our spiritual senses awakened or we have hardened our heart. Jacob said:
And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not. Genesis 28:16
What a TRAGEDY it is to be in the presence of the Lord, and not know it! Two results of the presence of the Lord are fulness of joy ... joy unspeakable and full of glory ... and pleasures for evermore ... pleasures that FAR exceed any that we could ever have in the natural realm.
Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. Psalm 16:11
Another result of the presence of the Lord is that things HAPPEN! Even the devils tremble at the presence of the Lord (James 2:19).
How do we enter into His presence?
First of all, we can NOT enter into His presence or be aware of His presence by our own works, strength, or power. We enter into his presence by His grace and mercy and by keeping our garments clean. Because no flesh can glory in His presence and because no sin can be in His presence, it is vital that we keep our garments clean.
Jesus said, in John 17:24 "Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world."
Where was Jesus when He said those words recorded in John 17? in the realm of the Spirit. We also have responsibilities in order to enter into His presence.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto Him with psalms. Psalm 95:2Serve the Lord with gladness: come before His presence with singing. Psalm 100:2
I am sure that you have experienced some meetings of believers that never seem to get off the ground whereas in others the presence of the Lord is manifested. If we want to sense the manifest presence of the Lord and bathe in His Light and Glory, then we must go to the assembly of believers with ONE thought in mind ... to praise and worship the King of kings and Lord of lords and to give Him the glory.
I am not a person who is naturally oriented toward a great display of emotions. But in the summer of 1998, I thought that I might be translated. I was listening to two songs on a cassette tape over and over again for a period of about one hour. The titles of the two songs are "The Servant King" and "Spirit of the Living God, Fall Afresh on Me." Some of the words to "The Servant King" are as follows.
From Heaven, You came helpless babe,
Entered our world, your glory veiled;
Not to be served but to serve,
Not to be served but to serve,
And give Your life that we might live.
Chorus:
Chorus:
This is our God, The Servant King.
He calls us now to follow Him
To bring our lives as a daily offering
of worship to The Servant King.
There is nothing "magic" about those two specific songs. We may sing those two songs and experience nothing! It is the anointing of the Spirit that makes the difference.
There were times when I sang the words myself and other times when I just listened to the music. I found myself sobbing deeply. I believe it was because I was so caught up with the goodness of God in my life and the glory of God. I had no thought of anything for myself, my family, or other believers. I was just overcome with the Person of the Lord Himself.
Somewhere during that time period, I heard a word from the Lord. The effect of that word could be summarized by 2 Chronicles 5:13-14,
There is nothing "magic" about those two specific songs. We may sing those two songs and experience nothing! It is the anointing of the Spirit that makes the difference.
There were times when I sang the words myself and other times when I just listened to the music. I found myself sobbing deeply. I believe it was because I was so caught up with the goodness of God in my life and the glory of God. I had no thought of anything for myself, my family, or other believers. I was just overcome with the Person of the Lord Himself.
Somewhere during that time period, I heard a word from the Lord. The effect of that word could be summarized by 2 Chronicles 5:13-14,
"It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the Lord, saying, For He is good; for His mercy endureth forever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the Lord; So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of God."
The essence of the word that I heard was that if there were an assembly of saints in any geographical area, and if the hearts of the believers who assembled were all in one accord to minister to the Lord and only to the Lord, then the result of 2 Chronicles 5:14 would be repeated; i.e., the glory of God would fill the temple such that the priests could not stand to minister. Two major conditions to that word must be emphasized:
(1) the hearts of the believers assembled must be in one accord to minister to the Lord; and
(2) ministry would be only to the Lord Himself, i.e., no ministry to other believers.
The second condition rules out much of the activity in church gatherings at all levels today; i.e., no teaching and no preaching. Of course, there is a time and a place for ministry on a horizontal level, but that would not be the purpose of the gathering that I heard about.
When I heard that word, I did nothing for a short season, partly because I had been in such a high spiritual state at that time. About two weeks later, I heard the same word. But this time there was no music involved and no possibility of an emotional high. This word has important implications for all of us, especially for pastors.
I have had some major thoughts concerning the essence of this word. First of all, a repeat of the effects of 2 Chronicles 5:13-14 could occur in any geographical location, provided the pre-conditions are met. Secondly, this is a very difficult word to communicate. Is there any genuine believer anywhere who would not want to see the glory of God manifested? I think not. But herein lies the difficulty. The motivation must not be to experience the glory of God. The motivation must be to minister to the Lord Himself and only to the Lord. Furthermore, there should not be any thought or hint of motivation to get something for myself, not even things that are ordained by God for His saints. Consider Solomon's (apparent) motivation when God asked him what he wanted. In 2 Chronicles 1:10, Solomon said that he wanted wisdom and knowledge in order to judge God's people. His attitude was very favorably received by God, culminating in 2 Chronicles 5:14. Now compare Solomon's attitude and the motivation that I am trying to express. Which of the two do you believe would be more acceptable?
The first mention of the function of the Levitical priesthood is recorded in Deuteronomy 10:8.
(1) the hearts of the believers assembled must be in one accord to minister to the Lord; and
(2) ministry would be only to the Lord Himself, i.e., no ministry to other believers.
The second condition rules out much of the activity in church gatherings at all levels today; i.e., no teaching and no preaching. Of course, there is a time and a place for ministry on a horizontal level, but that would not be the purpose of the gathering that I heard about.
When I heard that word, I did nothing for a short season, partly because I had been in such a high spiritual state at that time. About two weeks later, I heard the same word. But this time there was no music involved and no possibility of an emotional high. This word has important implications for all of us, especially for pastors.
I have had some major thoughts concerning the essence of this word. First of all, a repeat of the effects of 2 Chronicles 5:13-14 could occur in any geographical location, provided the pre-conditions are met. Secondly, this is a very difficult word to communicate. Is there any genuine believer anywhere who would not want to see the glory of God manifested? I think not. But herein lies the difficulty. The motivation must not be to experience the glory of God. The motivation must be to minister to the Lord Himself and only to the Lord. Furthermore, there should not be any thought or hint of motivation to get something for myself, not even things that are ordained by God for His saints. Consider Solomon's (apparent) motivation when God asked him what he wanted. In 2 Chronicles 1:10, Solomon said that he wanted wisdom and knowledge in order to judge God's people. His attitude was very favorably received by God, culminating in 2 Chronicles 5:14. Now compare Solomon's attitude and the motivation that I am trying to express. Which of the two do you believe would be more acceptable?
The first mention of the function of the Levitical priesthood is recorded in Deuteronomy 10:8.
"At that time the Lord separated the tribe of Levi, to bear the ark of the covenant of the Lord, to stand before the Lord to minister unto Him, and to bless in His name, unto this day."
These three functions of the priesthood of all believers still exist today.
(1) to bear the ark of the covenant of the Lord (which corresponds to "Christ in you, the hope of glory.") Surely somewhere toward the bottom line is God's desire for the formation of the fullness of Christ within each believer.
(2) to stand before the Lord to minister unto Him, and
(3) to bless in His name. Several verses, such as Leviticus 9:22 and Numbers 6:23, seem to indicate that this refers to our horizontal ministry.
The order has meaning and is significant - a priority order for every believer. Is it possible that the church has reversed this order? To answer this question, consider the amount of time devoted to each function in gatherings of believers. The time devoted to function (3) is way ahead of the others.
But in 2 Chronicles 5:13 the priests were only exercising function (2) - they were standing before the Lord to minister unto Him (verse 12 of 2 Chronicles 5 confirms that they were standing). There is no mention in these verses of any horizontal ministry. And what happened? As they were in one accord (one motivation) and stood before the Lord to minister to Him, God sovereignly moved them into phase (1) - the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.
(2) to stand before the Lord to minister unto Him, and
(3) to bless in His name. Several verses, such as Leviticus 9:22 and Numbers 6:23, seem to indicate that this refers to our horizontal ministry.
The order has meaning and is significant - a priority order for every believer. Is it possible that the church has reversed this order? To answer this question, consider the amount of time devoted to each function in gatherings of believers. The time devoted to function (3) is way ahead of the others.
But in 2 Chronicles 5:13 the priests were only exercising function (2) - they were standing before the Lord to minister unto Him (verse 12 of 2 Chronicles 5 confirms that they were standing). There is no mention in these verses of any horizontal ministry. And what happened? As they were in one accord (one motivation) and stood before the Lord to minister to Him, God sovereignly moved them into phase (1) - the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.
Now I am certain that in almost every church there are a few believers who long for more of the presence of the Lord in their lives. However, they do not know how they can achieve or fulfill that longing. I believe the answer is intimately related to our level and understanding of worship. Many years ago, I attended a weekend convention in another state. When one of the meetings was over, I went into the kitchen of the host and talked briefly with the wife of one of the elders. At one point she said, "Oh, I never worship at home. I only worship during meetings". How tragic! If we really want a deeper life in the Spirit, our whole life should consist of a spirit of worship.
Let us return to verse 29 of 1 Chronicles 16, which tells us to "worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness." When Jesus met the Samaritan woman, He said, in John 4:24,
Let us return to verse 29 of 1 Chronicles 16, which tells us to "worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness." When Jesus met the Samaritan woman, He said, in John 4:24,
"God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth."
Many believers quote John 4:24, but what does that really mean? Worship is not defined by the outward manifestations of the people. Any doing involved with worship must spring forth from a state of being. Where do we miss the mark concerning worship? We focus on what we do, rather than on what the Spirit of God wants to do or on what we should become. We get into a routine, a format, and the life of the Spirit departs. Nothing may be done to excite or stimulate the flesh in the assembly of believers. All must be of the Spirit and led by the Spirit. To worship in spirit is to allow the Holy Spirit to move upon the believer's redeemed spirit, causing love, devotion, honor, and respect to ascend to God. To worship in truth is to worship according to the rhema Word of God.
The first occurrence of worship is in Genesis 22:1-6, when Abraham was prepared to sacrifice his only son. The Lord never promised Abraham anything in exchange for sacrificing his only son, Isaac. Neither did Abraham ask for anything in return for sacrificing his only son. When the Lord told Abraham to go and sacrifice his only son, Abraham simply said, Yes, Lord. He asked no questions; he simply obeyed! Since this test was from God and since this is true worship, we must conclude that there is nothing about the flesh that can be offered to and accepted by God as worship.
Therefore, from Scripture, true worship is defined by our voluntary, unquestioned obedience to the rhema word of the Lord as revealed by the Holy Ghost. Further, worship springs out of a pure heart that fears God and moves by faith.
Although there are many physical, outward expressions or forms of worship, worship is our inner attitude or state of our heart toward God. God is after our heart, not a routine. Worship never asks for something for me but desires to give everything to the Lord. There is nothing in our emotional realm that can substitute for worship.
Now, how about corporate worship?
The following is a testimony of Marion Fretwell, a precious and very mature brother in Christ. He always lived on the west coast, mostly in Yakima, Washington. (quote)
The Spring of 1951 has lingered in my memory because of the experiences I had then. I was a young man then, full of zeal which often over ran what wisdom I had.
God had done a new thing in the earth a few months prior, which was called the "Latter Rain" for lack of a better means of identification. It had started in a Bible School in North Battleford, Saskatchewan, Canada. It spread quickly, though the brethren in charge of the Bible School had not tried to advertise what was taking place. They did not put a name on it - that was done later by the folks south of the border. It caused some irritation to the Canadian brothers, but it was quickly out of their hands.
They were awed by the magnitude of the move in their midst, and vowed to never try to control what God had started in their school. This idea prevailed for a long time, but human nature being what it is, the resolve would, in time, be over ruled by the need for some sort of human guidance. Not that God had desired it, but the men felt it was getting out of hand, and would miss the mark of what they thought it was intended to accomplish.
In attempting to "guide" the "Move of God", they inadvertently found themselves at the "head" of what was to become another "machine made by Gene."
It was just as well, for there were several other "Genes" who "made a machine" from that same moving of God's hand. Some of the more prominent ones were in Detroit, Portland, and Vancouver, BC. There were many more to follow, scattered over the globe.
Each "machine" was cranking out different ideas of what the "revival" was all about. Ideologies were flying like birds in the air, thick enough to "darken" the light of what God was trying to do in the earth.
The Canadian folks held a "Feast of Pentecost" convention each Spring. Ralph Megrew and I went in 1951, driving his new Studebaker car.
At Edmonton we were informed that the main road to North Battleford was under water from melting snow. There was another road (unpaved) above water, so we started out. It was about five hours normally, but the frost was coming out of the ground, and the rolls kept us from making good time. Midnight.
It was at that Feast of Pentecost that I caught a glimpse of the true meaning of God's people gathering to worship Him.
My sleeping room was in an office adjoining the auditorium where the services were held. The building was an old Army barracks. Their "pews" were planks on various types of supports, with no back rests. Yet, each morning shortly after six o'clock people started gathering. Some prayed while others worshipped. By nine o'clock there was standing room only.
No one talked to their neighbors or friends, yet there was a steady sound of worship to God. A chorus would be started, and everyone joined in (all without instruments) for a round or two of that chorus. Then the steady sound of worship would resume for a while until someone else started a chorus. This continued from the first people into the auditorium until when the leaders came in at ten o'clock to start the service. There was no need for a "warm up" with a song service. They started teaching right away.
I determined while there that I would try to train the folks in Yakima to do the same. When I returned, we STRONGLY discouraged any talking in the sanctuary before service. We URGED the folks to begin worshipping when they entered the building. Before long, we had them fairly well trained this way, and it sure did change the atmosphere when we gathered.
Believe it or not, I could often tell who had come in to the building by the "atmosphere" which accompanied them as they entered to worship. I always sat on the front row, and never looked back. Those were awe inspiring times - precious to us.
God honored our reverence in the House of God by stretching forth His Hand to perform various miracles from time to time. (end quote)
Many years ago, I went with a good brother to a weekend convention in southeast Pennsylvania. Because of the length of the trip, we arrived about 20 minutes before the scheduled start of the first gathering. We went into the old brick structure and sat down beside perhaps another 12 or 15 believers. On the other side of the center aisle, another 12 or 15 believers had also arrived early. The folks around us started smiling, laughing, and chatting about worldly things. After a few minutes, I spoke up and said, in a voice loud enough to be heard in the whole auditorium, "Why do we have to wait for the official starting time of the gathering? Why can't we just start worshipping the Lord now?" There was silence for quite some time, but no one else said a word. Of course, that scenario is repeated in almost every church. It seems to be a tradition that if we arrive early to our church gathering, we smile, shake hands, and engage in socialization or small talk until the meeting officially starts. Do you think that is pleasing to the Lord? Do you really believe that worship begins when the meeting starts and worship ends when the meeting ends? That is why I shared Marion Fretwell's testimony. When he saw that great revival in Canada, he determined to teach the church where he was the pastor the same principle of worship, and the Lord honored his boldness. Obviously, that function must be implemented by the pastor of a church. I sincerely doubt that few, if any, pastors today have taught or even thinks about teaching that in their church. Would that every pastor could hear, understand, and walk in the significance of Marion's testimony. However, each believer can walk in these truths by the grace and power of God, provided we are willing.
One final thought ... in our quest for more of God in our life, we need to be careful that we do not become self-seeking. The Lord says, "If you will ... then I will." The order is significant. It does not work the other way.
Psalm 18:25-26, "With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright; With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward."
In simple terms, if we want more of the Lord, we need to give Him more of ourselves. May the light and glory of His presence be our ultimate goal. Amen and amen.
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