To worship is to experience Reality, to touch life! It is to know, to feel, to experience, the resurrected Christ in the midst of the gathered community. It is a breaking into the Glory of God or better yet, being invaded by the Glory of God.

Jesus declares, “The true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for such the Father seeks to worship him” (John 4:23). It is God who seeks, draws, and persuades. Worship is the human response to His initiative and invitation.

In the Genesis we read that God walked in the garden seeking out Adam and Eve. Jesus would draw men and women to himself (John 12:32). In fact the whole Bible is filled with examples of God’s efforts to iniitate, restore, and maintain fellowship with his children.

Our worship is our response to the overtures of love from the heart of the father. The primary function of the Levitical priests was to “come near to me to minister to me” (Ezek. 44:15). For the Old Testament priesthood, ministry to God was to precede all other work. In the New Testament we are ALL priests. Far to often we forget to minister to the Lord himself.

Today God is calling his Church back to worship! It seems to me He is saying, “I want the hearts of my people back!” If we long to go where God is going and do what God is doing, we will move into deeper, more authentic worship.

A striking feature of worship in the Bible is the “holy expectation” that the people had as they gathered together to worship. They believed they would actually hear the Kol Yahweh, the voice of God. When Moses went into the Tabernacle, he knew he was entering the presence of God. The same was true for the early church. It was not surprising to them that the building in which they met shook with the power of God. It had happened before (Acts 2:2; 4:31).

Those early believers were keenly aware that they were entering into the very Presence of God.They gathered in anticipation, believing and knowing that Christ would meet with them in worship. Even in the midst of dangerous circumstances, the early community was urged not to forsake the assembling of themselves together (Hebrews 10:25).

Why? “A quickening Presence prevades us… and blends our spirits within a super-individual Life and power…. a dynamic Presence enfolds us all, nourishes our souls, speaks glad, unutterable comfort to us, and quickens us in the very depth of our being.”

When we are truly gathered into worship, things occur that could never occur alone!

This is what the Bible calls koinonia, deep inward fellowship in the power of the Holy Spirit. Christ is alive and present in all his power. Jesus alone is honored.

Scripture calls us to “offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name” (Heb. 13:15). The Old Testament required blood sacrifices. The New Testament requires this sacrifice of praise. Peter and John left the Sanhedrin with bleeding backs and praising lips (Acts 5:41). Paul and Silas filled the Philippian jail with their songs of praise (Acts 16:25). His Presence filled their praise!

Worship is the primary calling of my life, ministry and the church. My first and highest prioritiy is His Presence. And the scriptures say, “But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.” (Ps 22:3).

Paul said, Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. (Rom. 12:3). Worship requires our bodily presence! As we gather to offer ourselves as “one body” (made up of many people) He has promised to manifest himself to us.

My highest priority is His Presence! To host Him and His being manifested in and among us in all of His Glory! As His church, as His Body I am convinced that our first and highest ministry is to Him!

I am sensing a “holy expectation” of His desire to manifest Himself in our lives! That is the very “center” of my being!

Presence Centered Living — is a life devoted to Worship!!!!

“The true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for such the Father seeks to worship him” (John 4:23).

The Father is seeking you and you and you and you……

Can you hear the call of the Father’s heart? He is calling us into His Presence and the doorway is through worship!