Joshua
provides a number of key examples for those who would seek to follow God
closely and become devoted worshipers of Him today.
1.
There
will always be obstacles to worship.
2. Authentic worship requires
holiness.
3. Authentic worship needs a home.
4. Worship is a choice.
In
examining these principles one at a time, we can delve a little deeper into
what it means to become a passionate and authentic worshiper in the tradition
of Joshua.
Principle
1. There will always be obstacles
to worship.
As noted
by Dr. Vernon Whaley, “Before God’s people could enter the land and worship
their Deliverer there, they would have to overcome all that stood in the
way. You will too.” (Whaley, p. 93) The nation of Israel faced the raging,
flood-stage Jordan River, unknown geography and intimidating inhabitants in the
land and a city at the entrance to the Promised Land that seemed to be an
impenetrable fortress of stone walls.
While on the surface, the odds seemed immeasurably stacked against the
Hebrew people and their chance of actually taking possession of the Land of
Canaan was slim, the people stood on faith. Their
eyes of faith that looked to the Lord and to his anointed leader, Joshua,
eventually saw the Jordan River stopped in its tracks and the seemingly
unconquerable walls of Jericho fall to the ground. It was the faith of the people of Israel that overcame the obstacles to
their worship and finally allowed them to enter into the, “territory He [God] had promised them, the land
where they would become the kingdom of priests He wanted them to be.” (Whaley, p. 93) It is this same faith that we exercise to overcome
obstacles to our worship: i.e. the fear of what others may think, spiritual
warfare, doubt, questions and problems.
It is through faith that we overcome anything that may stand in the way of
our authentic worship.
Principle
2. Authentic worship requires
holiness.
“Before
God would ever accept Israel’s worship and consequently demonstrate His power
to them, His people first had to prepare their hearts.” (Whaley, p. 94) Holiness and purity were critical
elements of Israel’s relationship with God. His desire was to dwell among his people and to bless them
through his powerful action on their behalf was tied to his desire for their
personal and communal purity. This
is as true for us today as it was for the nation of Israel during their
conquest of the Promised Land. In
order for us to expect the powerful and life-changing presence of God in our
midst during times of worship, we must come with a desire for personal and
social holiness. If we harbor sin,
particularly as worship leaders and pastors, we should not expect a powerful
movement of God in our congregations.
Only when true repentance occurs and a spirit of humility and submission
are present in the leadership of a church is the presence of God truly welcome
in worship.
Principle
3: Authentic worship needs a home.
“Once the
Israelites had made it safely across the Jordan River, what’s the first thing
they did? They stopped and took
the time to build a memorial, a permanent site for worship.” (Whaley, p. 94) The creation of a “sacred space” or a
permanent place of frequent worship is essential in the life of each individual
worshiper and in the life of a worshiping congregation. Without a regular meeting place and
time, even the strongest of human relationships will falter and fail. This is also true of our relationship
with God. We must create time and
space to connect with our loving Creator; to speak with Him and to hear from
Him; and to worship Him in a space that truly becomes “holy ground.”
Principle
4: Worship is a choice.
“Practicing
worship involves a choice. There
will always be a thousand and one things to distract you from doing worship. To worship, we must put action to our
faith, because genuine worship is active, energetic love for God, demonstrated
in our choice
to obey.” (Whaley, p. 95) With a world striving for our
distracted and divided attention, we must choose to worship God. Just as Joshua and the nation of Israel
were surrounded by the distractions and false worship of the land of Canaan,
believers today are in the midst of a society that tolerates everything except whole-hearted devotion to God
through His Son Jesus Christ. Our
choice today to worship may be as difficult as it was for the Hebrew people as
they stood at the entrance to the land of Canaan, but the outcome is no less
important. Just as the
consequences of their choice led to “life or death, blessing or cursing,” our
choices will lead to the same. In
a world that sings siren songs of corrupted worship of false gods, the
Christian worshiper must be committed to making a daily choice to worship the
only true and living God. And,
when this worship takes place by stepping out in faith to overcome obstacles by
those who are committed to holiness as they meet together in sacred spaces, the
amazing presence and power of God will be a witness to a world that cannot
compare with the Holy One of Israel.
______________________________________________
Source
list:
Whaley, Vernon M. Called to Worship, The Biblical
Foundations of Our Response to God’s Call. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2007.
