Worship 19 Breath for the Mind

[HKHaugan]

Skillful worship begins with the mind. The mind is where we develop belief. The mind processes life and passes it on to the heart. The heart processes the person from whom belief comes to measure the person's trustability. What the heart is willing to trust will influence the spirit of the person to act in faith. This process is true in every level of human activity. This is why everyone looks for a leader whose ideas and character touch the heart and inspire faith to follow and act. This is why Paul tells us that we have to be transformed by the renewal of the mind (Rom.12:2). It is Scripture that comes directly from God's mind to our mind. It is the Father's truth about His Son Jesus, the person of truth from the Spirit of truth. Jesus, God the Son, is reflected on every page.

So worshiping with the mind is the first priority. It's the filter for the heart. The mind is where we set the order of ideas, the concepts, the structure for our belief. Every group that professes Christ has a creedal form to identify itself. It's what the group wants its members to embrace in their hearts and share with others. Peter tells us we should have a reason ready to present for the faith that is in us (1Peter 3:15).

But it's not just for the individual. The small group and the larger Body are just as much in need of sharing reason, “Come now, let us reason together,” says the Lord (Is.1:18).” And Paul appeals to the Corinthians to be perfectly united in mind and thought (1Cor.1:10). We want to seek unity of mind in the larger Body of Christ. If we say having a Scriptural mind is important that would be putting us where the Lord wants us. When we line our minds with His He has something to work with. Studying Scripture together is mind worship and many times will lead to sharing our hearts and result in spirit action.

The need of the mind is to think like Christ, to evaluate like Christ and to make conclusions like Christ. This is what activates the heart and spirit to be and act like Christ. Therefore the more we know about Christ from the Word the more the Spirit can take us on the path toward Christ-likeness.

There are three words, themes, concepts that take us toward Christ-likeness for the mind---good, right and worth. How are they used in Scripture to describe Jesus? When we see Him as the definition and picture of good, right and worth then worship in the mind begins.

Starting with 'good' consider Matthew 19:16-30. Jesus is approached by a man who asks Him, “What good thing must I do to get eternal life?” Jesus counters with a question, “Why do ask you me about what is good. There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life obey the commandments.” When the man asks Jesus what they are, Jesus tells him the prohibitions against murder, theft, adultery, false witness, and adds the need to honor parents and to love his neighbor as himself. But that didn't satisfy the man since he felt he'd done them. So he pressed Jesus further, “What do I still lack?” Jesus knew that the man was seeking not just obedience but the ability to be automatically good, to be good without God, independent of God, the sin of Adam and Eve (Gen.3). Jesus tells him to give everything he owns to the poor and then follow and be totally dependent on Him. But this didn't satisfy his need to be in control. He was a self-made man with status and wealth. He couldn't let go. Make a list, tell me what to do and I'll do it. He didn't recognize his real need---spiritual, personal and relational dependence on God, where good , right and worth are found. So he left sad and unfulfilled. Had he only known “Blessed are the poor in spirit.”

There are three insights here that help us when it comes to worship.

First, it's not what we do to be good, it's who we follow that is good. That's why Jesus tells the man “only One is good.” He is pointing to the relational possibilities when we know and trust Him. It's studying Him, thinking about Him and building a personal Jesus resume. What we believe about Him is what the Spirit uses to shape our responses to Him in our mind, heart and spirit.

Second, eternal life is not something we can earn. It is a freely chosen relational experience trusting Jesus in the events of our life. Actually He is the event happening when we trust Him. If we trust Him we trust His Word. Part of this includes the popular question, “What would Jesus do?” When we trust His Word we trust the Spirit to inform us.

Third, being good happens not because we've got a list we follow to be in control, proud and self-righteous. It is God who is preparing us to do good things ahead of time (Eph.2:10). It's following Jesus into the unexpected moments that will be unique to us and us alone. It is unique because it is we and Him together in it. It's our turn where we are to be an image of creation in them for Him. Every moment presents a creative opportunity because no one else but us can respond in it the way we do. He is with us wherever, whenever and with whomever we find ourselves. Our worship is following Him wherever He leads. To be good then is to be right and to see our relationship with Jesus as worth letting Him be the perfect image of good and being right and therefore worth every effort to be more like Him in every next moment.

This all happens as it did for Jesus, in the unexpected, unplanned and unknown every next moment. Jesus walked by faith. It is life lived by faith in Him. It is Holy Spirit led life as it was in Him. Therefore, what needs to be expected, planned and known is right there in Scripture which sensitizes the intellect in us to stand on belief. “Do your best to present yourself as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth (2Tim.2:15).”

Skilled worship starts with a mind breathing Scripture. Why? Because “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work (2Tim.3:16).” If oxygen is what our bodies need to breathe for physical life then our spirits have to spiritually breathe for spiritual life as well. God breathes His life into us through His Word.