From the Edges – Preparing for Worship Come and Receive, Go and Tell.

As we prepare for Worship this weekend.

LENT – DAY 4 – WORSHIP –
COME and RECEIVE – GO and TELL
Pastor Calvin Cook

Though I truly believe that Worship is the time of acknowledging the presence of God in our lives and setting aside self so that we can offer God with our everything. Our Praises, Our singing, Our thoughts, Ourselves, Our offerings, and most importantly Our hearts and souls that which will be, all we have left at the end of life – a heart set on God and a Soul that will either go to the hope of eternity or the pits of hell and despair.

I also realize to fully experience the heart of worship that we must empty ourselves of the things that are truly hurting our souls, release all the self-control, come into the heart of God through our worship and rid ourselves of the things that, bind us, control us, manipulate us from being in that presence of God. Maybe we need a better understanding of surrender.

I know that this morning and all week Pastors, Teachers, Rabbis, Priest, Evangelist, Preachers, and Apostles have been sitting in deep thought and study praying for the words of God to be manifested through them. I know there are exceptions of those who do not spend the time wisely and instead find themselves using someone else’s words or trusting in un-inspired words. But that is for the Holy Spirit to deal with.

As we come to worship today as I personally have been trying to listen to God speak in the variety of ways that God uses to speak, my solemn prayer is God have your way with my words, remind me of the ways I have witnessed you in the last week, allow me to be current, but Lord with all my heart I pray it is about you –
This morning as sit thinking about my sermon, the events of the past week, victories and losses, happiness and sorrow, joy and grief I opened my Bible and the words from Mark 5:18-20 jumped, I mean literally raised themselves up that I couldn’t help but read them. These verses, is the response of Jesus to the man that had just received freedom from demons, not just one or two but a legion – thousands. I think sometimes we get lost in this very famous story of Jesus casting the demons into a herd of pig but in that maybe we missed something very important in the verses I mentioned.

“As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you. ”So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.” Mark 5:18-20 NIV

Hmmm —- maybe this is how we should be leaving Worship. If Worship has truly transformed us and changed us, if Worship has filled the emptiness of our soul and began the preparation work for eternity, if Worship has caused us to leave the past behind and focus on the newness of life – maybe this teaches us how we should leave Worship.

I love sitting at the feet of Jesus, learning from him, I desire the more of God which I receive when I truly with penitent heart worship, I would love to stay in that holy presence and that holy place. Flashback to places and times where I have felt that closeness. But…… Jesus tells the man and tells us – Go and tell what Jesus has done in your life. How Jesus has taken you as the miserable person we all are and has remolded us into this beautiful soul. But wait !!………. Has this truly happened, or have you left with the same feelings, the same attitudes, the same sin, the same demons, that you brought into Worship…………………………. Maybe this week can be different !!!!!!