The Value of Pure Worship‏

This is a long but excellent teaching on this subject.
Keith Overturf

The Value of Pure Worship
Wade E. Taylor

True worship is born of, and directed by the Holy Spirit. Because of this, Christians who have never been together before, are able to worship the Lord in a flow of beautiful harmony that lifts them into the presence of the choirs of heavenly worshippers, to worship with them. A casual observer might think that they had been worshipping together for years.

This ability to flow together in audible worship is given as a part of our receiving the infilling of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the “spirit of worship” quietly abides deep within us and awaits an opportunity for expression. The proper atmosphere and some encouragement releases us to begin worshipping the Lord.

The Holy Spirit readily imparts the quickening presence and the anointed power to lift “corporate worship” into a flow of harmonious expression. As worshippers respond to the “manifest presence” of the Lord and enter into a flow of corporate harmony in their worship, they will begin to receive prophetic understanding and revelation.

Within the Body of Christ, there are many different levels and expressions of worship. Praise is thanking the Lord for all that He has done for us. Worship is pure adoration for who He is. Worship increases our desire to be in the Lord’s presence. It is a key to becoming sensitive to His presence and learning to recognize His voice.

As we are faithful in our expression of worship to the Lord, we will increasingly become more aware of His abiding presence, and we will more easily discern His voice. Our vocal worship will do much in helping to develop these spiritual qualities within us.

The first time I attended a Full Gospel meeting, I was greatly disturbed by the loud audible praise, and desired to leave. I understood “blessed quietness,” but I had never heard everyone in a service singing and praising the Lord loudly and freely. Today, I am eternally thankful that the Lord had His way, as I slowly, but gradually entered into this same spiritual freedom and expression of praise and worship.

In a worship service, drums will stir the soul and those present will get excited and shout, giving thanks for all that the Lord has done for us. But, if we will become quiet in an attitude of adoration and worship, the Holy Spirit will begin to worship the Lord through us, and our expression of worship will rise into a flow of harmony that will lift us into a higher realm of divine presence. This worship in harmony is impossible with the beat of loud drums, as this “beat” will reduce us from eternity into time, and rob us of the divine presence, while the harmony of pure worship will lift us into union with the worship of the choirs of heaven. Discretely played with a sensitivity to the building presence of the Lord, drums may help to accelerate praise, but should become silent as praise begins to harmonize into a flow of worship. Satan knows this, but very few worship leaders do. Moses both knew and valued the presence of the Lord. “And He (the Lord) said, My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest. And he (Moses) said to Him, If Your presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.” Exodus 33:14-15 (comments added) This intense desire within Moses to have the presence of the Lord abide with him did not just happen. It came through circumstances that caused him to diligently seek the abiding presence of the Lord. Though Moses was “learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds” (Acts 7:22), he failed in his attempt to fulfill his calling by delivering an Israelite, and fled into the wilderness. Here, while keeping the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law, he pursued the call that rested upon his life, as he journeyed toward the mountain of God. As Moses traveled, he noticed that at a distance to the side of his path, a bush was burning with fire, but was not consumed. “And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.” Exodus 3:2 After Moses noticed this burning bush, he said: “I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” Exodus 3:3 “I will now turn aside.” This speaks of something within Moses that desired and was responsive to the presence of the Lord. Notice that the Lord appeared in a bush that was “a distance to the side” of the path that Moses was taking, even though he was moving toward the mountain of God. This is because the Lord desires to be wanted, and seeks a response from us that indicates our desire for His presence. The Lord chooses to reveal Himself in such a way that it requires a deliberate action on our part, as an indication of a true desire for His presence. Our having this “bent of spirit,” or “spiritual aptitude” toward the Lord’s presence, does not come easily. It must be actively desired, sought after, and cultivated. Our “worship” is a key to developing this spiritual sensitivity and aptitude for His abiding presence. “When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.” Exodus 3:4 Although Moses was intent on moving toward the mountain that pertained to God, he desired the presence of the Lord so much that he willingly responded to this manifestation of the supernatural, and turned toward it. He was obedient to the voice of the Lord, though at the time he did not understand what was taking place. Each of us is affected by the worldly environment that surrounds us. As a result of this, we develop varying amounts of sensitivity to “earthy” things. When we were “Born Again,” we received the capacity to recognize and respond to “spiritual” things. Through the working of the Holy Spirit within us, we began to understand that we have become a new creation, and have entered a new and higher realm of life. We learn that the purpose of the Lord is not to build up the temporal, but rather, to introduce us to the spiritual. This under-standing will help us to turn aside from lesser things, and to focus our attention on cultivating an increasing sensitivity to His presence and voice. Therefore, there is an urgent need for an increase in the quality of our worship. As our worship begins to flow up to the Lord in an expression of harmony and purity, the presence of the Lord will also increase in our gatherings. This increased presence of the Lord will draw those who are truly spiritually hungry, and they will turn aside to worship the Lord with us. While I was a student in Bible school, I learned a very important spiritual principle from one of my teachers, Walter Beuttler. He said, “The Lord appreciates being appreciated.” This expresses something very close to the heart of God. We all desire to be appreciated, but the Lord uniquely appreciates, and responds to His being appreciated. He shares His presence with those who let Him know they appreciate Him, especially through their worship. Our music, our worship, everything that we do in a gathering should be directed toward our coming into the experience of His revealed, manifest presence. We should develop our spiritual sensitivity, so we will be able to recognize His presence, and turn aside as the Lord reveals Himself in our meetings through His quickening presence. When Moses responded and turned aside, the Lord imparted instructions, which led to the deliverance of His people from bondage. As Moses stood in the manifested presence of the Lord, he was both enabled and empowered to lead them into a land that flowed with milk and honey. Our worship is tremendously important, as it also hinders the functioning of demons and principalities, and leads to deliverance. The value of our worship is far more than we may realize. It releases the Lord to move in intervention, as when we worship, the Lord works in our behalf. Although the Lord has all the choirs of heaven to lead in heavenly worship, He desires to inhabit our praise and worship. “But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeks such to worship Him.” John 4:23 Rev. Skip Wigmore, Light of Life Ministries Smithfield, NClolministries@embarqmail.com Revelation 18:4-5 (NIV) Then I heard another voice from heaven say: "Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes.