Worship 14 The Cross and the Spirit

[HKHaugan]

'Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only (Mt.4:10).”

When you are worshiping God you are serving Him and when you are serving God you are worshiping Him. It's that spiritual. It's that personal. It's that relational. It's that dynamic. Can you see the Cross in this verse? From the very beginning of the appearance of Jesus in the flesh there is this sense of the vertical and horizontal. The prophecies about Him, the Virgin birth, His constant references to the Kingdom of God, His Father and the need to born from above; all point to the vertical beam. His call to love one another, to reach out, to be humble, heal the sick, be changed from above in order to give what you receive to others, point ot the horizontal beam. Then His direct command to take up our cross every day, worshiping and serving, serving and worshiping.

Our worship starts with repentance. Why? Jesus' first words preached when He returned to Galilee after His temptations in the wilderness were, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near (Mt.4:17).” What does repentance do? Three things, first it keeps us aware of God our Creator who is perfect, pure and holy in whose image we are made and our need for faith. Second, it makes us aware that we have a heart problem called sin that has reduced our image to the size of our every next fear. Then pride kicks in and we are reduced even further. Repentance lays it all out before the Father. Third, it makes us aware of our need for forgiveness. He wants to forgive us, restore our relationship with Him and share Him with others. Repentance keeps us focused. Ongoing repentance keeps us honest and ready to serve. It brings us 'near' to the Kingdom of Heaven where 'near' is 'here.' The King within and we in His Kingdom. Jesus prayed for this (John 17).

So how do we serve and what do we share? Jesus' life was always referenced in the context of His Father. That's what He tells the devil. The Father is to be worshiped and served. Like the beams of the Cross worship and service are inseparable. Jesus alludes to this combination when He encourages the future for His disciples during the Passover supper before His death, “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it (John 14:12-14).”

How could anything be greater than what Jesus did? 'Greater' is not about the incomparable quality of what Jesus did. Nothing can equal it and nothing could be greater but look at the quantity, the sheer numbers are staggering. Look at the incredible feats of what believers have accomplished over the centuries after Jesus gave believers the gift of the Holy Spirit. It's all the hearts that have been changed and lives transformed. Consider the ministries and missions across the world along with the amazing advances in science, education and medicine. Take the growth of the Body of Christ and its effects even in spite of the abuses both of its errant members and its hostile adversaries. He foretold all this but also that the devil and his spirits would be at war with all who call on the name of Jesus. But all of that is history's record. Besides the Word has given us the end of the story which should humble us and spur us on to 'greater' actions.

What is important is where you and I are in our every next moment. The call to worship and service is so basic and so cross bearing. It's deeply spiritual and personal. We do start with our mind, heart and spirit but we don't stop there. We reach up and then we reach out and while we are reaching out we are reaching up. It's our Jesus-consciousness driven by the Holy Spirit that moves us, motivates us and maximizes us. It's all in the shape of the Cross.

Now for those who are already involved in ministries and mission there is a further dimension to heed. When you work for the Lord there are always roadblocks that seem to emerge from nowhere. Be aware that they are spiritual attacks and to treat them as such. While repentance keeps us on track it is the presence and power of the Holy Spirit we are given to discern the invisible scene behind the words and actions of others. There will be spiritual opposition to whatever the Lord wants.

Take for instance, those moments when you have had super experiences of the Lord at work. Right after or soon after you may encounter moments of depression or find yourself in a contentious situation with a family member or friend. It could even be something as unrelated as a flat tire or some other physical disturbance. It is at this point the Holy Spirit will identify to you what is happening and it is the Holy Spirit who will direct you to use the name of Jesus to rebuke the devil and whatever spirits seem to be behind the opposition or attack. Watch out for the spirit of pride. You have the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. Use it. This is precisely how to stand under the Cross. And having stood continue to stand (Eph.6:13). “In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people (Eph.6:16-18). These are moments of worship and service intertwined. It's worship lived out and worship realized. The Lord really is on your side, your spiritual side.