Last week we left off in the middle of Isaiah in a message dealing with worship. Worship is intimate with the Father and a weapon against the enemy. It’s not used for a show or entertainment purposes. It’s not meant to compete with the world’s entertainment. It should bring the anointing of God – not the praise of men.
Isa 7:18 “At that time the LORD will call for the ‘Fly’ that is now near the streams of Egypt, and he will call for the ‘Bee’ that is now in the country of Assyria. Those enemies will come to your country. (THE ENEMIES OF THE FLY AND THE BEE ARE EVIDENT IN THE SCRIPTED AND THE DEAD CHURCHES OF TODAY. FROM THE MEANING OF THE WORD FLY WE FIND A “STINGING NATURE” AND FROM THE WORD BEE WE FIND “REHEARSED. GOING THROUGH THE MOTIONS IN AN ORGANIZED WAY”)
Isa 7:19 They will settle in the deep valleys and in the caves, by the thornbushes and watering holes. (THE WORSHIP SHALL NOT BE A PROTECTION AND IT SHALL NOT BE ABLE TO MINISTER AS AN OASIS IN THE DESSERT. IN OTHER WORDS, IT WILL NOT BE ABLE TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE OR YOUR LIFESTYLE)
Isa 7:20 The Lord will use Assyria to punish Judah. Assyria will be hired and used like a razor to shave off Judah’s beard and to remove the hair from his head and body. (THE GLORY WILL DEPART FROM YOUR WORSHIP. INSTEAD OF MINISTERING TO THE LORD, YOU WILL ONLY BE SINGING SONGS)
Isa 7:21 “At that time someone might keep only one young cow and two sheep alive.
Isa 7:22 But there will be enough milk for them to eat milk curds. In fact, everyone left in the country will eat milk curds and honey. (THEY WILL SETTLE FOR LESS THAN THE LORD HAS ORDAINED FOR THEM)
Isa 7:23 There are now fields that have 1000 grapevines, and each grapevine is worth 1000 pieces of silver. But those fields will be covered with weeds and thorns. (GRAPEVINES SYMBOLIZE THE RICHNESS AND THE FULLNESS OF THE Holy Spirit. IT REPRESENTS THE JOY THAT WAS PLANTED IN YOU AS A WORSHIPPER. THE HARVEST AND MOVING OF THE Holy Spirit WILL CEASE TO MOVE AS MAN TAKES OVER)
Isa 7:24 That land will be wild and used only as a hunting ground where people go with bows and arrows. (THERE WILL BE COMPETITION. THERE WILL BE NO SAFETY. CRITICAL SPIRITS WILL ARISE AND DESTROY)
Isa 7:25 People once worked the soil and grew food on these hills, but at that time they will not go there, because the fields will be covered with weeds and thorns. It will be a place where cattle graze and sheep wander.” (THIS TO ME IS A VERY SAD PLACE. TO GO TO A CHURCH WHERE THE THIRST IS NOT QUENCHED AND THE WANDERING OF SHEEP IS CONTINUAL)
The essence of true worship as outlined in John 4 speaks of worshipping the Father in Spirit and in truth. When our worship is attacked and invaded by pride and when the emphasis is on material prosperity – it becomes lifeless. It becomes a show and the worshippers become entertainers.
Jack Hayford said something very powerful. “If worship doesn’t change your life, it’s time to change your worship.”
True worship was never intended to be defined and refined for human ears or for human consumption. It is for HIS glory and was meant to be set apart – for Him only. It is an entering in and dying to self. It is not to develop your talent or to give you a platform to be seen and heard. It is a place to lead people to another realm. It is a place where pride has to die – not where pride is developed and encouraged.
If anything, secular is included… or if your music is split between music in the church and music in the world… it is a spirit of compromise and the worship will be tainted. If the worship platform is a place where people are lifted up and “seen” by others… it will be tainted.
You can’t “take pride” in this work. You must not be afraid to be broken down… right in the midst of the fray. Praise will take you through His gates. Worship will take you into His courts. Brokenness will take you into the Holy of Holies.
When worship doesn’t break you… when it leaves you in the gates, or in the courts – you have fallen short of true worship. The true Judah will experience the fallow ground being broken and will be granted an entry to the Holy of Holies.
If your worship can’t take you to the feet of God with your broken alabaster box, then you need to reexamine your worship.
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