FROM: Banbury, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
ABOUT ME: Living the highs and lows of life in the adventurous pursuit of God Himself and of who I'm meant to be as the Bride of Christ.
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Monday, February 11, 2008,6:13 p.m.
MOTIVATION
A bunch of us got chatting in worship class today about motivation. Actually, we were taking about living lives of integrity as worship leaders and believers, and whether that looks like trying to follow all the rules that pastors are always telling you from the pulpit. Here's what we decided:
(a) The rules aren't made by the pastors; the pastors preach the Word (all going well).
(b) The Word isn't intended to be a book full of rules to follow to be "OK" with God; that's what the Old Testament law was all about and it is clear from the scriptures that it was impossible to follow it fully.
(c) God isn't interested in a bunch of rule followers; He wants people who strive to follow the commands of the Word out of passionate love for Him.
Therefore we concluded that our motivation to follow the "rules" of the Word should be that we love God so intensely and believe who He says He is so fully that we cannot help but respond by following the things He says. Our obedience is not motivated by obligation, but by love and a desire to bring God pleasure.
Interestingly, even though we tangented terribly throughout the conversation (we always do), that led us right back to a desire to live lives of integrity for the purpose of bringing God pleasure.
And that is a really good definition of worship.
PS:
(a) The rules aren't made by the pastors; the pastors preach the Word (all going well).
(b) The Word isn't intended to be a book full of rules to follow to be "OK" with God; that's what the Old Testament law was all about and it is clear from the scriptures that it was impossible to follow it fully.
(c) God isn't interested in a bunch of rule followers; He wants people who strive to follow the commands of the Word out of passionate love for Him.
Therefore we concluded that our motivation to follow the "rules" of the Word should be that we love God so intensely and believe who He says He is so fully that we cannot help but respond by following the things He says. Our obedience is not motivated by obligation, but by love and a desire to bring God pleasure.
Interestingly, even though we tangented terribly throughout the conversation (we always do), that led us right back to a desire to live lives of integrity for the purpose of bringing God pleasure.
And that is a really good definition of worship.
I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner
worthy of the calling to which you have been called....
(Ephesians 4:1)
PS:
I also had a conversation today with my Grade 7/8 Choir about Song of Songs.
THAT is a really good definition of AWKWARD. :)
