There are not many churches anymore that truly understand the word worship, pastor’s sermons even in what was once considered the evangelical community many times revolve around self, self-ambitions, selfish determination to please God more than on submitting to His will. The word worship has been modified to mean attendance today, concerning themselves with how they feel about Christ instead of the obligations we are to have for Him, the thirty, or less Christians, have taken control of the assembly, the 100 Christians have moved on. (Matt. 13:8)
The word Sovereign has been removed from nearly every message, our Lord is treated almost as an equal, someone who is constantly to be coming to our assistance, prayers for the sick and infirmed, the emotionally distraught have become commonplace, and the offering of servitude in humility is far from their minds. The Lordship of Jesus Christ is rarely spoken of, instead we seek for Him to heal us of some never-ending malady, to restore us into a right relationship with Him, one these individuals continue to break Monday thru Saturday. We want Almighty God to serve us, but we will not harken to His commandments, we ask Him to sacrifice for us, but many are unwilling to give Him any serious contemplation for even five minutes during the week.
Many churches have decided that the enabled member is better than no member at all, and so they appease the senses of those in attendance, they have forsaken the only true and righteous God for membership roles, they have determined that enabling is easier than discipleship.
The word Sovereign has little meaning to the average Christian today, it does not denote an all-powerful, true to His character, dedicated to His Word Lord, only a loving, wishy-washy misrepresentation of a creator who created beings to serve them. “By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son,” (Gen. 22:16) because there is no higher authority, “See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand,” (Deut. 32:39) because only He can do so, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth,” (Gen. 1:1) for only He holds this power, yet we treat Him like some distant relative, we believe ourselves to be His best friend, we will not hear that He is no respecter of persons. They attempt to bring God down to our level, to presume to know and understand Him is foolishness in the extreme, and has led to a path of idolatry.
The cross in the chapel, the Bible in your hand, is treated with more adoration and respect than the One by whom all things exist. (Heb. 2:10) Many churches have taught themselves to worship the creation above the creator, they have deemed tradition as important as the Almighty, they are fulfilling the obligations of man, but refuse to adhere to the commandments of God. No man is to enter into the presence of the King in any other way than with abject humiliation, on bended knee, faces to the floor is the only proper position for the one who understands the word Sovereign, you are to come boldly to the throne of grace, (Heb. 4:16) but if there is even one molecule of pride in your life, you will be cast out. If you see Almighty God as any less than Holy, perfect, just, and righteous in all that He does, than you have no right to be in His presence.
“God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:24) And your spirit, your thoughts, you mind must be completely free of any notion of pride, humility in the face of a Holy and Sovereign Creator are the only clothes we are to wear. Worship is not a word that should be used in many places that call themselves a church today, it is a place to garner information from those we see each week, a location that offers little more than good feelings toward ourselves, an uplifting place to go once a week. But it is not a place of Holy adoration, it is rarely a place to fall on our faces and seek the will of the Most High anymore, if we will not do so during the week, what makes you think that building you attend on Sunday is any different.
His name is to be exalted above the heavens, (Psalm 57:5) to be glorified and lifted up, (2 Thess. 1:12) for He alone is worthy of all honor, praise, and glory. (Rev. 4:11) But instead we hope the message won’t make us drowsy, we hope the songs are not to high pitched, we hope we are not kept any longer than we are used to, and then we hope God will answer all of our prayers. Go figure.