Radical Worship

I've been dwelling on this concept of radical worship ever since I began reading the book Holy Fools, by Mathew Woodley. If we are going to be true worshipers of Christ, I mean TRUE worshipers of Christ, our view of everything we are and everything we do as His followers HAS to change.

Jesus asked Peter three times, "Do you love me?" and each time He called Peter to do something radical for Him. He called Peter to love, care for and feed His sheep. Put yourself in Pete's shoes right now and ask yourself, "As a Christian, am I really doing what Jesus called Peter to do? Am I doing this today for the people in my life?" If you're like me, the truth is going to be no. In fact, you're going to find out, as you really get after God, that you and I don't even come close. Let me push it a little further. Some of those people that we aren't loving, caring for or feeding, we don't even like. In fact, we have issues with them that cause us to avoid them, ignore them or be mean or disrespectful toward them. How does that measure up to what Peter - and us - were called to?

If you want to experience radical worship, in your personal life and in corporate life, then I want to challenge you to do something that will make you super uncomfortable (and possibly make you not want to come to church on Sunday).

I want all of us - me included - to be the person that God called us to be and love the unlovely in our lives like we never have. I want us - God wants us - to deal with the junk we're hanging onto with the unlovely people like these:

• You have an issue with a family member, a friend, a co-worker that has gone unresolved for years and you're not willing to try to correct it. Then don't come to worship until you do. You're heart is not ready to hear from God. The Biblical word is unrepentant - not willing to change (in short).
  
• You have someone in your life who you know needs your help. You're too busy or too uncomfortable to work with them or help them, and even think that someone else will step in and take care of them. Don't bring your fake, hypocritical worship to God on Sunday and expect that it will please Him. To Him it smells like what it really is. (Hey, if it walks like a duck, talks like a duck, smells like a duck - must be a duck!)
• As if I haven't stepped on enough toes, here's one more. You're in a connection group that is just the right size for you. If you add more people, it just won't be the same. And yet, you know there are people who are starving to get into a group and grow closer to God. You won't let them in for fear that it will change your group. Really? You're the biggest problem with the church in America today. The word that seekers use is 'exclusive'. In Jesus' day, He had a lot to say about the Pharisees who knew a lot about how to be exclusive. Everything they did was all about them. Connection Groups, it's not all about you! Jesus said, "Feed my sheep". If you can't do it, stop calling your self a connection group. And don't think that God doesn't see that heart when you bring it to worship. (Remember the duck?)

Before we all get the pitchforks out, let me remind you that at the beginning I said that WE need to change, not just you. I have things that I have to work on in relationships. I have to get over myself in helping those in need and caring for them God's way. And I'm not doing this because I have too. I WANT to make the changes in my life so that I can be FULLY used by God for His purpose in my life.

You see, I want to experience ALL that God is, and I want all of US to experience all that God is. And I know that we don't always experience Him on Sundays because we all fit into one or more of these areas that I mentioned a moment ago. My prayer (in this season of my journey) for you is that you will join me in fully surrendering the struggles that we are holding onto and give them - I mean REALLY give them - to God. If we truly become the people that we are called to be; if we truly become the servants and caregivers that we have been called to be- - I know that we will encounter a God we have yet to meet. We will be transformed, not just changed. And He will get the glory and praise that He truly deserves. Will you join me? Will you help me in my journey by holding me accountable? Let's get after worship with the Creator like we really do care.

See ya in church...