The Marks of Worship

The Marks of Genuine Worship
2 Chron. 26-30
“Now do not stiffen your neck like your fathers, but yield to the Lord and enter His sanctuary which He has consecrated forever, and serve the Lord your God, that His burning anger may turn away from you.”
Judah was in disarray and need of reform. When Uzziah succeeded Amaziah, reform was badly needed. Although his father had made overtures of obedience to God, he had not been completely obedient. He had remained divided in his worship (25:2).  As a result, God brought judgment upon Him. However, when Uzziah succeeded Amaziah, He also sought the blessings of God and walked in obedience. However, like Amaziah, God’s blessing became his undoing as he allowed pride to creep in. Pride is always a danger, for it lurks in the heart to start to take credit for what God has done. Pride often leads us to take credit for our successes and blame others for our failures. For several successive kings, this cycle of faith and disobedience would continue.  
When Hezekiah became king, Jerusalem had become the center of idolatry rather than the focal point of worshiping God. The temple had been boarded up so that people were no longer able to worship God. One of the first acts of Hezekiah was to reopen the temple doors and begin rebuilding the temple. In 29:6, he confessed the sins of the nation and called upon the people to turn back to God and celebrate the Passover. In his prayer of dedication, Hezekiah called upon the people to return to worshiping God and to reaffirm their fidelity to Him. In 30:8, we find a statement that captures the essence of repentance and surrendering to God.   Hezekiah mentions three characteristics/actions necessary to turn from sin and restore their relationship with God.
First, genuine repentance and authentic faith surrender to God. Hezekiah calls upon the people to “yield to the Lord.”  The Hebrew literally means “To give the hand.”  The hand is used idiomatically to convey authority involving responsibility, care, and communion over someone or something.”  In other words, what Hezekiah is telling the people is that they are “hand over the controls” to God. They are to allow Him to have dominion and authority over all things in our lives. We desire God’s grace and His salvation, but we want to remain in control. We want God to do our bidding, bless all our endeavors, but make no demands upon our lives. However, genuine faith entails surrendering to God and allowing Him to be in control.
Second, authentic faith involves regular worship with the community of God. Hezekiah reminds the people to “enter His sanctuary which He has consecrated forever.”  A healthy, vibrant faith involves recognizing the importance of being engaged in the community of God. It is to recognize the importance of gathering together with God’s people to worship Him. The writer of Hebrews also exhorts us, “Let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” A healthy person of faith prioritizes the worship of God.
The last characteristic of a healthy faith is that we “serve the Lord your God.”  The word “serve” can refer both to the worship of God and to the work and labor we do for God. Worship and service are interwoven. Throughout the Bible, we see that the one who genuinely believes in God serves God and becomes involved in the ministry of God. This is further highlighted in the New Testament when all believers are referred to as priests. The priest was one who dedicated his whole life to serving God and ministering before Him. A healthy faith recognizes that we are to use our spiritual gift to serve God by serving the body of Christ. Church is not a place we attend; it is a place where we serve.  
Are these three areas evident in your life? Are you growing in these areas? Today, surrender to God and ask God to give you opportunities to serve Him.  That is a prayer He delights in answering.