Worship, Our Highest Calling — David Ravenhill

Worship as the Highest Calling

I want to share with you this morning on one of the most neglected truths in the Word of God. And in our neglect of that truth, I believe we have despised one of the highest callings that God has given to man.

A calling that surpasses the calling of an apostle, or a prophet, or evangelist, or a pastor, or a teacher. The call to be a worshipper. I don't profess to have a full understanding of all that is involved in this particular topic.

I have wrestled with it now for a number of weeks. I've given myself to prayer. I've asked God many, many times, Lord, I don't want this simply to be a sermon. I want it to be the outflow of a life. I want to be a worshipper.

And I'm convinced that this is a calling that is not restricted to a few, but ultimately is chosen by the few. Let me say that again. I believe it is a calling that is not restricted to a few, but ultimately is only called, or only a few choose that calling.

I want to look at seven aspects of worship this morning, or if you like, seven components or seven facets of worship. First of all, I want to look at the priority of worship. The second thing, the person of worship.

Number three, the provision of worship. Number four, the picture of worship. And I want to deal primarily with number four, the picture of worship. Number five, the price of worship. Number six, the posture of worship.

And number seven, the power of worship. Those of you who are familiar with Mike Bickle will know that we are not allowed to ever end with six points. He gets agitated, he will make a point, even if there isn't a point, of having seven.

And so when I was preparing this, I thought, I cannot afford to end this with six. I better make sure there's another one in there, otherwise I might get myself dismissed or something. Mike called me this morning about eight o 'clock.

I didn't take the phone call. I mean, I didn't take it because I knew it was Mike. I was doing something else. Somebody else took it. You'll get me in trouble. Peter Dippel answered the phone, and he told me afterwards, he said, Mike called a few minutes ago, and wants you to know that he is behind you, that he's backing you all this morning.

So I want you to know that this has got the sanction and the approval. Everything that I say this morning has already been approved by faith, by Mike Bickle. So if you have any problems, if you call into question my theology, you then go see Mike, will you?

All right. I want to look at this. First of all, I want to quote something from A. W. Tozer. A. W. Tozer says this in one of his writings, God wants worshippers before workers. Indeed, the only acceptable workers are those who have learned the art of worship.

Let me say that again. God wants worshippers before workers. Indeed, the only acceptable workers are those who have learned the art of worship. He goes on in one of his other writings to say this. We are called to an everlasting preoccupation with God.

Man was made to worship God. God gave man a harp, and said, Here above all the creatures that I have made and created, I have given you the largest harp. You can worship me in a manner that no other creature can.

And when he sinned, man took that instrument and threw it down in the mud. Man took that instrument and he threw it down in the mud. Notice again, we are called to an everlasting preoccupation with God.

God gave to us a harp, and he says, Here above all the creatures that I have made, I have given you the privilege of worshiping me. And man, in his sin and his rebellion, took that instrument, threw it down in the mud, turned and spurned the face of God.

Now let me say this. Don't be led astray by the word harp, because I am convinced that worship in the word of God has nothing to do with music, at least not solely. I'll explain that as I go through. One of the things that has bugged me for so many years, partly because I don't have any musical ability.

I've told people for many, many years, somebody let me sing once, and said, You're a prison singer. I said, What's a prison singer? They said, Somebody behind a few bars and missing the key. Worship and music are not necessarily synonymous.

I think that is important. I get bugged every time I open some Christian magazine, and I see worship conferences around the nation, and a list of musical items, and songwriters, and song directors, and so on and so forth speaking, because somehow they equate music with worship.

Now I'm not saying that music can't be a part of worship. It can. Thank God for it. But the greatest acts of worship anywhere in the word of God are devoid of one single musical note. And I want to look at this, because I believe that God is saying something.

In this day and age in which you and I live, God is looking for worshipers. Worship is far more encompassing than music alone. Worship involves the unreserved giving of ourselves in total abandonment to the will and the purpose of God, to bring pleasure to the heart of God.

Jesus made the statement, I do only do the things that please the Father. That to me is worship. Words of a song. All to Jesus I surrender. All to Him I freely give. I will ever love and serve Him, in His presence daily live.

That's worship. All to Jesus I surrender. It's not listening to a particular song, memorizing it, getting a particular ditty in your head, and singing it off. That is not worship. Worship is the unreserved giving, without any reservation, without any hesitation, of giving everything to God, placing it on the altar, and saying, God, my life is to bring pleasure to you, in everything I am, everything I do.

I read a book recently, and it says the best time to worship God is in the morning. And something rolls up within me. And I said, no, a thousand times no. Worship cannot be limited to a time or a place.

Worship isn't something that you get over with in the early morning hours. Oh, thank God for those that rise early. Here at Metro Vineyard we rise early, we have prayer meetings every single morning of the week.

But worship is not confined to a particular time or a particular place. It's the outflow of a life. It's an outflow of a life that longs to bring pleasure to God, that is preoccupied with God Himself.

Time after time we're exhorted, in the Word of God, to worship God. In fact, it's not an option. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God. Jesus said to the devil there who said, listen, I'll give you all the kingdoms of the earth if you'll only simply fall down and worship me.

And Jesus says, no. It is written, thou shalt. Not an optional thing. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God. The psalmist beseeches us time after time after time in the Psalms. Come, let us worship and bow down.

Let us kneel before the Lord our God, our Maker. Many, many times in the Word of God we're exhorted to this place of worship. God longs for worship. Jesus speaking to the woman at the well there in John chapter 4 made the statement, the hour is coming and now ends when those that worship the Father will worship Him in spirit and in truth.

For such people the Father longs for. He seeks after. To the best of my knowledge there's only two times in the Word of God where it says that God is seeking for something. He came to seek and to save that which was lost.

But He also is seeking for something else. He's seeking worship. The very fact that He says He seeks it seems to imply to me that it's a rare commodity in the house of God, amongst the people of God. It's something that the Father looks for.

He pursues. He desires it. And He says, I seek after that thing. I covet that thing more than anything else. Psalm 29 and verse 2 are ascribed to the Lord. The glory due His name. Worship the Lord in holy reign.

Psalm 99 and verse 5, exalt the Lord our God. Worship at His footstool. Paul expresses it in a different way right into the Colossians where he says that in all things He might have preeminence. In all things.

Oh, not just on a Sunday morning for an hour before the message. Not for a Sunday evening for an hour and a half before the evening service begins. But in all things He might have preeminence. That is worship.

You see, it's not enough for Jesus Christ to be present. It's not enough for Jesus Christ to be prominent. Paul says He has to be preeminent. He has to surpass every other thing. Every other desire. Every other longing.

Again, it's that preoccupation with God Himself. Again, the priority of worship. I trust this morning that God will find worshippers. That something will be awakened in your heart this morning. Again, it's the great longing on the heart of God.

It's the ultimate calling. After all the evangelism is done. After all the churches are built. After all we've done on this earthly pilgrimage is through. A hundred million years from now you and I will be in the presence of God.

Falling prostrate before Him. In worship and adoration. When all the prophets have done prophesying. And all the apostles have done. And all the evangelists and pastors and teachers. When all of that is through.

Worship Must Be Focused on the Person of God

And all the counseling is through. Again, the one eternal calling of man. Preoccupation with God. Again, as Micah said, that holy passion for the Son of God. The next thing is the person of worship. The person of worship.

You see, worship has to have a focus. Let me say that again. Worship has to have a focus. Jesus said to the woman at the well. Or she responded to Him. You say in Jerusalem is the place to worship. Our fathers told us it's this mountain that we're supposed to worship.

And Jesus said again, worship is not a place. Worship is a person. The hour is coming and now is. When they that worship the Father. I'm concerned sometimes. About what we call worship. In fact, what we call praise.

Let me tread on a few toes this morning. It's in my blood. I read a statement some years ago that has stood with me. Or stuck with me. The statement was this. I become superstitious. Whenever the means of worship.

Eclipses the object of worship. Let me say that again. I become superstitious. Whenever the means of worship eclipses the object of worship. Now let me give you a little bit of background. Because some of you may be turning me off right now.

I am not opposed to celebration. I've lived in it for the last 25 years. I was in possibly the most free church in all of New Zealand for 15 years. I have personally led half the congregation out of the door on a Sunday morning.

And round a city block downtown. So I'm not opposed to dancing. I'm not opposed to anything that we talk about as far as celebration. But so often our celebration again eclipses the object. We need to be so careful.

So sensitive. Again, I've done so much research into the realm of pageantry. And all our flags and our banners. But so often they distract from the person of Jesus Christ. And people begin to look at men's handiwork.

And all the elaborate embroidery. And all of this and all of that. And Paul says in Acts chapter 17. You think that somehow the art of man, or God rather, can be reduced down to the art of man. And it becomes some sort of a divine fetish.

I tell you we need to be careful. When worship really comes into the house of God. I believe we're going to fall prostrate before Him. I believe we're going to be lost in the very beauty and majesty of the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Oh, I'm not opposed to times of celebration. I love it. But we need to be so sensitive to the various moods of the Spirit of God. I'm convinced that in Pentecost we've got one mood, basically. Full steam ahead.

And sometimes we need to take time to bask in His presence. Oh, I've been thankful for the times of stillness. Unfortunately there's always somebody that feels that that's their time to let loose. Sometimes we feel awkward, don't we?

When somehow there's that holy hush that falls on a congregation. And we don't really know what to do with it. Instead of turning our focus to the Lord. And becoming absorbed in the person. And the beauty of His majesty.

Somehow we've got to do something. It's an awkward sort of a season. It's an awkward time. But listen, let's embrace the various moods of the Spirit. There's times simply to be quiet. There's times to be prostrate before Him.

There's times just to kneel reverently in the presence of God. You see, worship has to have a focus. The woman said it's in this place. And you say it's in that place. And Jesus says it isn't in any of those places.

The Father is the one that we worship. The Father is the one that we worship. We're not worshipping a creed. We're not worshipping a doctrine. We're certainly not worshipping a movement. We're not worshipping some past revival or some future revival.

We're not hoping, at least I don't care if there's another wave or there isn't another wave. I think what Bob Mumford said the other night, I'm looking for a visitation of the presence of God. That's the longing.

That's the longing of this team. It's to know Him. Oh, as David says, that I may know Him. One thing that I desire to Lord, that will I seek after. That's the thing I'm going to pursue. Worship. The privilege of worshipping Almighty God.

Of focusing our attention, of being absorbed in the beauty of His majesty. I remember my father many years ago saying that he had the privilege of spending some time with A .W. Tozer. He went into his office one afternoon, about one o 'clock or two o 'clock in the afternoon.

And Tozer was just stirring, getting up from a little mat that my dad said was about three feet by two feet, something like that. Just a cheap sort of a K-Mart mat that he had on the floor. And he said to my father, when my father came into his office, he said, You know, I've got one of the busiest days.

He said, I came in here, I think it was eight o 'clock this morning. And he said, I decided to have some time alone with God in prayer. And he said, when you knocked at the door, he said, I just got up and all I've done is worship.

I haven't even started to pray yet. Eight o 'clock in the morning to one o 'clock in the afternoon, absorbed in His majesty. Transfixed as he gazed upon the beauty of His holiness. Do we know anything about worship?

I don't. God's wanting to teach us. Again, it's a person. Worship has to have a focus. Oh, I'm longing for that day. When we'll stand with all the redeemed of all the ages. In an arena 100 ,000 times bigger than this.

With men and women from every creed and background. China with its one billion. Down to Pican Island with something like 50 people. Men from the jungles of Africa and Indonesia and the Philippines and New Guinea.

All the great men of the earth, all the rich men of the earth. Politicians and kings, everybody redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. And stand with that vast array, that vast crowd of people. And sing the song of Moses and the Lamb.

Where there we gaze again upon His majesty. Join with all the seraphims, join with all the cherubims. Bowing down incessantly and saying Holy, Holy, Holy. To Him that sits on the throne be glory and honor and power and majesty.

The one that this morning again sits above the vault of the earth, the circle of the earth. He reduces rulers to nothing. The one that neither slumbers nor sleeps. The Alpha, the Omega. The ruler of the kings of the earth.

The one that has been raised from the dead. Declared to be the Son of God by the power of the resurrection. Oh, what a glorious day. What a wonderful time. To gaze at His majesty. To bow again. I remember, I think it was Jack Hayford many, many years ago.

That had an understanding of why those seraphim or those cherubim keep bowing down. Bowing down day after day, hour after hour. And he said because every time they lift their head, they see a new facet of the nature and the character of God.

And it causes them to stoop again. And then they come up again. They see God from another facet. And they bow again. Oh, I believe all eternity will never exhaust His beauty. When that veil is taken away, we no longer see through a glass darkly.

But face to face. What a wonderful time. The one who made the heavens and the earth. The one who created man and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. And man became a living soul. Oh, this is the God that we worship this morning.

The God that never slumbers or sleeps. The one that sits on the throne this morning. His throne is established in the heavens. And His sovereignty rules over all. Oh, what tremendous security that brings to us this morning.

I don't care what goes on on this earth. I know that my times are in His hands. And all the redeemed of all the ages are going to gather. There's going to be one great celebration. My voice is going to be tuned up by then.

Thank God. And you'll hear me soaring above everybody else. As I begin to express all that's been in me for so many years. And my wife says, hey, you're off key. And she'll no longer be able to say that.

Oh, what a glorious day. But you see, there is an object for our worship. Paul, there on Mars Hill. He says, oh, I went through your city. He says, I saw the various altars. And there you had a God. Oh, an altar to the unknown God.

What therefore you worship in ignorance. Oh, I think there's a lot of ignorant worship, isn't there? Jesus again said to the woman at the well. He said, you worship. You don't know who you worship. He says, we know who we worship.

We worship the Father in spirit and in truth. All you know is that there is a place. Again, as Paul Cain was explaining last night. It was ritual. It wasn't reality. Somehow she was bound to a particular grotto somewhere.

Up in the hills. As opposed to some other place. And Jesus said, listen, it's not a place. It's a person. Worshiping the Father. The Father seeks those that will worship Him. I tell you, it's an object for our worship.

You see, it's possible to worship worship. We need to be careful of that. Oh, we get so carried away that really there's been absolutely no focus on the Lord. It's like Martha that gets cumbered about with much serving.

We can get cumbered about with all sorts of activities. That we go under the guise of worship. And when it's all said and done, we haven't really sat at His feet and given Him anything. And He longs for it.

Worship as a Response to God's Provision

He's crying out for it this morning. He's seeking it out, even in this building this morning. The Father seeks those that will worship Him. The third thing is the provision of worship. The provision of worship.

You see, true worship is giving back to God that which is from God. You and I need to come to an understanding that of ourselves and by ourselves, we have absolutely nothing to give to God. As Paul says, in my flesh dwells no good thing.

That we are spiritually bankrupt, apart from the grace and the mercy of God. It's no wonder the writer was able to say, amazing grace. How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, now I'm found.

Was blind, but now I see. He recognized, God, I have nothing to give you. It's purely your grace and your mercy that has brought me to this place. That's the provision of worship. We don't have it by ourselves.

It's giving back to God that which He has given to us. It's expressing again the love that He expressed to us. Paul puts it so well. Romans 11 and verse 36. I've shared on this before. One of my pet peeves in the Word of God are chapter divisions.

The only thing that isn't inspired, apart from the footnotes if you've got a skull fill. But anyway. It says from Him, through Him, to Him, of all things. And then Paul goes right on. Therefore. Now notice.

From Him, through Him, to Him, of all things. Therefore, I beseech you brethren, that you give back to Him that which is from Him and through Him. It belongs to Him. I've told people, I'll say it again.

That I believe that one single verse is a great test. The great equalizer of every new doctrine that comes to the church of Jesus Christ. Is it from Him? Is it through Him? And then the ultimate test.

Is it to Him? Prosperity. Is it from Him? Yes. Riches and honor come from you, O Lord. Is it through Him? Yes. Is it to Him? No. It terminates in man. Therefore, throw it out. Unless you can put on the other side of a triangle, if you like.

Lord, you've blessed me. You've increased me. You've prospered me. Therefore, I give it all back to you. Paul is saying, listen. Your life came from Him. And your life exists through Him. In Him we live.

We move. We have our being. Therefore, it belongs to Him. And you need to give back to Him again that which is His. That which is His through right of creation. That which is His through right of redemption.

The provision again of worship. It's recognizing again that I have nothing to give Him. Apart from what I've received. That I'm devoid of anything that can satisfy the heart of God. Apart from what He's given to me.

We sing a song sometimes. It's been a while since we've sung it. It says this. Only by grace can we enter. Only by grace can we stand. Not by our human endeavor. But by the blood of the Lamb. It's only by grace that we enter.

It's only by grace that we stand. It's not by our human endeavor. It's not by our abilities. It's not by our intellectual attainments. It's not by all of our achievements. It's not by all of our talents.

All of that the Bible says is just self-righteousness. It's filthy rags. But we give back to Him again that which we derive from Him. Paul writing to the Hebrews says that Jesus Christ suffered outside of camp.

He goes on in the next verse to say therefore through Him let us offer up a sacrifice of praise to God. Notice, therefore through Him. That's the provision of worship. It's a recognition again that Jesus Christ has done everything for us.

That apart from Him we can do absolutely nothing. Oh, that brings us all down to sort of level ground, doesn't it? There's nothing that we can boast about or brag about. We've got to acknowledge it's the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me that I give all the glory to and all the credit to.

One of the songwriters said, My Jesus, I love Thee. I know Thou art mine. For Thee all the pleasures of sin I resign. And then in the second stanza of that hymn he says, I love Thee because Thou hast first loved me.

Purchase my pardon on Calvary's tree. I love Thee for wearing the crown on Thy brow. If ever I love Thee, I love Thee. My Jesus does now. But notice, I love Thee because. The provision of worship. I love Thee because You first loved me, Lord.

You made it possible. You rent that veil You entered in. You made a place for me in the Father's house, that place that was off limits apart from the high priest. In the Father's house are many mansions.

Oh, I understand that at least as the tabernacle, the outer court, the holy place, the holy of holies. And he says, I'm going to prepare a way for You that where I am, there You may be also. Oh, that's not speaking about something in the future.

That's not speaking about the fact that he's got his cop and his belt on and he's up there busy constructing some sort of a building project to house the saints. He's already provided a place that where I am now, not in the future, where I am now, You may be also.

Why? Because there is a new and a living way. I go to prepare a way. The veil has been rent. We have access into the throne room. He's raised us up, seated us with Him in heavenly places. And it's all because of the provision of the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Abraham as the Picture of Worship

The third thing is the picture of worship. And I want to spend a little bit of time on this this morning. Genesis chapter 22. We have that very beautiful story of Abraham. And I want to look at worship and look through the life of this great man of God.

I am a firm believer in what we call the law of first mention. Many of the old saints that I've read refer to the fact that when something is mentioned in the Scriptures for the first time, that it gives us an insight that carries through the rest of the Word of God.

It gives us understanding. And this is the first time in the Word of God that worship is ever mentioned. It's mentioned in association with Abraham. The very first mention of worship. The Bible says of Abraham, Abraham is the father of all things that believe.

Not just simply the nation of Israel, but he's the father of all things in a spiritual Israel, if you like. The father of all things that believe. And as the father of all things that believe, he is a divine prototype.

He is a divine pattern, if you like. You study the life and the dealings of Abraham and somehow you can understand what you're going through yourself. I've so often gone back to his story after story after story.

And the life of this great man received tremendous insight. Abraham, the father of all that believe. Oh, I'm convinced that when the book of Malachi, that last chapter, that verse that I think is so often abused, where it says that the spirit of Elijah in the last days will turn the hearts of the children back to the fathers.

I don't think it's somehow God covering parental neglect. I don't think it's somehow restoration of the family in that sense. Oh, I believe God in his grace will bring that about. But I believe he's talking about the spirit of God that's going to be poured out in the last days.

That's going to turn the hearts of a wayward generation of believers that have settled down into indifference and apathy. That have allowed compromise to come in. He's going to turn our hearts back to the heart of the fathers.

Men like Abraham. Men like David. Men like Moses. Men whose hearts burn with passion for the Son of God. You study the life of Elisha there on Mount Carmel as he challenged the nation of God's people who had given over to bare worship.

Who had bowed down to idolatry. Who had lost sight of God. And he makes a prayer to them. And he turns to it. If you don't believe me, you can turn to it yourself. I'm reading from the New American. 1 Kings chapter 18.

Notice what he says here as he makes this prayer. He says, Answer me, O Lord. Verse 37. Answer me that this people may know that Thou art the Lord our God and that Thou hast turned our hearts back again.

You see, it was a generation. This wasn't some family dispute. This wasn't some father separated from a son. This wasn't God covering up for some lack of parental authority or discipline. This was a prophet of God operating under the Spirit of God.

Turning back a generation whose hearts had gone after the things of the world. Who were mesmerized by Baal. Settled into compromise with hearts full of idolatry. And I believe the Spirit of God in the last days while he may restore families.

He's going to bring a generation back. The ancient boundaries are once again going to be in place. Holiness once again is going to prevail in the house of God. Separation is going to come back into the church of Jesus Christ.

And it's going to take the Spirit of God to do that. All we've tried and all we've produced is our long dresses and long hair and so on and so forth. I tell you it's going to be a work of the Spirit of God.

But we're going to have a heart of passion for the Son of God. And it's the Spirit of Elijah. It's going to be poured out and turn back a generation. And Elijah stands there on Baal. He says, Oh God answer me.

Turn the hearts of this people. See God is going to restore the hearts of the children to the fathers. Oh I checked in a number of commentaries. I said God am I off on this? I mean this... You know I couldn't find one single commentary and I've got quite a few that even supported the idea of God sort of joining together families that are separated.

Thank God he does and he will do it. It's the nature of God. It's for you and your house. But every single commentary that I checked spoke again about turning a generation back to the fathers. Again back to the purity of the fathers.

Back to the passion of the fathers. See that's why the Bible says this man again is the father of all those that believe. There's something about this man. He's a divine prototype. We need to study his life.

We need to understand the dealings of God in the life of this man who is our father. Spiritual father. And Abraham was a worshipper several weeks ago. In fact maybe only two weeks ago. This is Jim Gahl and Jim will be sharing tomorrow morning.

Jim Gahl came to one of our prayer meetings at Noel Avenue. And he was sharing a dream that he had had just not too long ago. And in this particular dream he was in a very, if I remember correctly, sort of a lavish banquet hall.

There was a beautiful meal being served. A number of courses had already been served. And then as he observed in this dream or this vision, there came the main course. And it was brought in by the Lord himself.

And it was a beautiful servo if you like, covered platter. And he set it down in the middle of the table. And then he lifted the lid of that platter, or the cover of that platter. And there in the heart of the dish, the main course, was a heart.

And God spoke to him and says, I want to share my heart with you. I want to share my heart with you. A heart of love. A heart of compassion. A heart of kindness. A heart of mercy. But also a heart that longs for the lost.

A heart that is broken over the condition of the church. Can he share his heart with you this morning? Can he give you his heart? Can you be a recipient, if you like, of the things that move the heart of God?

Can you have those same bowels of compassion that weep over Jerusalem? That weep over your city? That weep over the lost condition of men and women? But as Jim was sharing that, something in my own spirit, I immediately thought of this.

Son, give me your heart. That God is not only wanting to share his heart with us, he wants us to give him our heart. And I had no sooner got through thinking that than Bob Hartley, one of our team members, stood up, he took the microphone in the prayer meeting, and he said, you know, when Jim was sharing that, I thought of this.

God is looking for us to give him back our heart. Now, Abraham gave God his heart. And the heart really is the essence of worship. Again, Proverbs 23. Son, give me your heart. Deuteronomy chapter 6, in verse 5.

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all of your heart, with all of your might. 2 Chronicles chapter 16, in verse 9. The eyes of the Lord move to and fill, throughout the whole earth, that he may strongly support those whose heart is completely his.

What a beautiful verse. That he may strongly support. In other prayer words, put all these power, all these energy, all these resources, behind the heart that is completely his. Not a half-hearted heart.

Not a divided heart. But the heart that is completely his. God says, the eyes of the Lord are run to and fill, seeking again, those whose heart is completely mine. Hebrews says that when we draw nigh to God, we are to come and draw near to him with a true heart.