In worship, we have the opportunity to experience the presence of God, to hear His voice, and to have Him speak to us. This is an awesome opportunity and a great privilege. The Lord can speak to whatever need, hurt, pain, or aspiration you bring Him.
It’s such a privilege to be in worship and to be together. The Scriptures promise that God inhabits the praises of His people. They promise that where two or more are gathered in Christ’s name, there He will be in their midst.
We encounter God Himself when we worship.
The body of Christ is indwelt by the Spirit of Christ, and He is at work to nourish and strengthen all the parts of His body.
Worship is a moment of divine-human encounter:
The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains,
The world, and those who dwell in it. (Psalm 24:1)
When God made the earth, He rested on the seventh day—but not because He was tired. He rested because His work was completed, and it was time for Him to dwell in the midst of His people.
God walked with Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. Later, the tabernacle in the wilderness became the place of the presence of God. The temple of Solomon and the Holy of Holies were the places of the presence of God in Jerusalem. In Revelation 21, the heavenly city is built according to the measurements of the Holy of Holies.
We can dwell in God’s presence, even in this life.
We have the opportunity to dwell in His presence. In these moments of worship, when “we look not at the things that are seen, but at the things which are not seen,” (2 Corinthians 4:18) we are experiencing the presence of the living God who’s revealed Himself through Jesus Christ.
We’re nearing the end of a series on the book of Philippians. In my next blog, I will take a close look at Philippians 4.
The preceding was adapted by Rachel Motte from a sermon featured on Dr. Sloan’s radio program, A Higher Education, on August 5, 2013.