Coming Back to the Heart of Worship
Worship is not centered on us. Worship is centered on God. Your life is not really about you. It is all about God. Creation, history, our bodies, and our service all exist for His glory. Let us go back to the heart of worship, where everything returns to Jesus.
For His Name’s Sake
Sa book of Isaiah chapter 48, makikita natin na ang Panginoon ay gumagawa para sa Kaniyang pangalan. Hindi lamang ito tungkol sa tao. Hindi lamang ito tungkol sa atin. Ang lahat ng ginagawa ng Diyos ay para sa kaluwalhatian ng Kaniyang dakilang pangalan.
Sa Isaiah 48:9-11, sabi ng Panginoon:
“For my name’s sake will I defer mine anger, and for my praise will I refrain for thee, that I cut thee not off. Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction. For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another.”
Isaiah 48:9-11
Take note of that:for my name’s sake,for my praise,for mine own sake. The Lord said, “I will not give my glory unto another.”
Sa Ezekiel 36:22, sinabi rin ng Panginoon sa house of Israel:
“I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name’s sake…”
Ezekiel 36:22
Hindi ko ito ginagawa dahil sa inyo, sabi ng Panginoon, kundi dahil sa Aking banal na pangalan. I will sanctify my great name. Do you believe the name of the Lord is great? The unbelievers shall know. The world shall know that He is the Lord.
Kaya sinabi ni David sa Psalm 46:10:
“Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.”
Psalm 46:10
The Lord will be exalted among the nations. The Lord of hosts is with us. The God of Jacob is our refuge. Kasama natin ang Diyos ngayon. Hallelujah.
We Must Know And Understand Him
Napakahalaga na kilala natin ang Panginoon. Hindi lang natin Siya naririnig. Hindi lang natin Siya binabanggit. We must know Him, and we must understand Him.
1 John 5:20 says:
“And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true…”
1 John 5:20
And the verse says that we are in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ. Then it says:
“This is the true God, and eternal life.”
This is the knowledge of God. Ito ang understanding of the Lord. Kaya sabi ng Jeremiah 9:23-24, huwag magmapuri ang wise man sa kaniyang wisdom. Huwag magmapuri ang mighty man sa kaniyang might. Huwag din magmapuri ang rich man sa kaniyang riches.
But let him that glorieth glory in this: that he understandeth and knoweth Me.
Kilala mo ba Siya? Do you understand Him? Nauunawaan mo ba kung sino talaga ang Panginoon sa buhay mo?
Back To The Heart Of Worship
There is a proper time for everything, but the time has now come when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth. Jesus said the Father seeketh such to worship Him.
Kaya ang mensaheng ito:let us come back to the heart of worship.
Familiar tayo sa song na “The Heart of Worship.” Si Matt Redman ang worship leader na nagsulat noon. The story behind that song is that their pastor was teaching the church the real meaning of worship.
Yung tunay na ibig sabihin ng pagsamba, hindi lang music. Hindi lang kanta. Hindi lang tugtog. Praise and worship can include singing, yes, pero hindi lang iyon ang worship.
For a period of time, hindi muna pinayagan ng pastor nila ang singing sa church. Bakit? Para matutunan ng mga tao na sumamba sa Panginoon kahit walang music. Para maunawaan nila na worship is deeper than a song.
During that time, God moved upon the heart of the worship leader. At naging malinaw ang mensahe: worship is all about Jesus.
Minsan kasi, ginagawa nating tungkol sa sarili natin ang pagsamba. Ano bang meron dito para sa akin? Ano bang mapapala ko? What’s in it for me?
Pero kapatid, the reality we must understand is this:your life is not really about you. It’s all about God.
It’s All About Him
This world is God’s world. Hindi ito sa atin. Even history is His story. Hindi ito primarily history natin. It is His story.
Tayo, we are only players in this story of the Lord. Our time is not ours. Our life is not ours. We belong to God.
From the beginning until now, makikita natin that the Lord wants His name to be glorified. All about worship. All about praising the Lord. All about glorifying the name of our God.
This world again is God’s world, not ours. We are just a small part of His story.
Kailangan natin ng fresh perspective, lalo na sa panahon ngayon. Ang daming bagay na nakaka-discourage. Ang daming nakakasira ng focus. Makikita mo sa Facebook, YouTube, media, at sa paligid, ang daming bagay na nakakapagod sa puso.
But let us be encouraged: God loves you. Our God is here. Our God delights in the worship that we give to Him.
Our View Of God Must Be Right
May isang book si Francis Chan,Crazy Love, na nagsabi ng ganito: the core problem is not only that we are lukewarm, halfhearted, or stagnant Christians. The deeper problem is that we have an inaccurate view of God.
Hindi tama ang view natin sa Diyos. Minsan parang pinapasok lang natin Siya sa maliit na bahagi ng buhay natin. We try to fit God into our lives in some small way.
Pero ang Panginoon hindi nanghihingi ng maliit na parte lang ng sarili natin. He commands everything.
Those who love Him must love Him with all their heart, all their mind, all their soul, and all their strength. Hindi kaunti lamang. Hindi tira lamang. Hindi kung kailan convenient lamang.
The Lord wants all of you. The Lord wants all of us.
Bakit minsan halfhearted tayo? Bakit minsan lukewarm tayo? Possibly because we do not really know God for who He is. We tend to magnify ourselves, sinasadya man o hindi, and we minimize Him.
Kaya sumama tayo kay David nang sabihin niya:
“O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.”
Psalm 34:3
Magnify the Lord with me. Let us exalt His name together. Ganyan ang worship. Ganyan ang church na marunong lumaban sa espiritu. We praise Him for the victory. We worship Him because He is worthy.
Creation Is All About God
Creation is all about God.
Romans 1:20 says:
“For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made…”
Romans 1:20
Yung mga bagay na ginawa ng Diyos, they reveal His eternal power and Godhead. Nakikita sa creation ang kapangyarihan at pagka-Diyos ng Panginoon.
Think about the earth. Pangatlong planeta tayo from the sun: Mercury, Venus, Earth. The earth is around 25,000 miles around, and it is inhabited by so many kinds of plants and animals. It supports life because of a finely tuned balance.
Kung ang mga factors na iyon ay mabago kahit kaunti lamang, life would cease to exist. Pero hanggang ngayon, kahit may bagyo, ulan, init, at pagbabago ng panahon, buhay pa rin ang mundo. Bakit? Because God sustains His creation.
The sun is about 93 million miles away. Neptune is so far away. At the speed of a commercial passenger plane, it would take many years of nonstop travel just to reach the sun.
And yet our sun is only one star.
Sa Milky Way, scientists say there are billions of stars. They also speak about billions of galaxies. Paano nila nakita iyon? Through instruments like the Hubble telescope. But whether man measures it or not, one thing is clear:our God created them all.
Napakalaki ng creation, pero mas dakila ang Panginoon. Heaven is His throne, and the earth is His footstool. Anong bahay ang ilalagay natin para sa Kaniya?
Pero salamat sa Diyos, He said, “I will be with you.” Jesus said where two or three are gathered together in His name, He is there in the midst of them.
Kaya naniniwala tayo: kasama natin ngayon ang ating dakilang Diyos. Kasama natin ang King of kings. And if your heart is open, the Lord can enter your heart.
All Things Were Created By Him And For Him
Colossians 1:16 says:
“For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible…”
Colossians 1:16
Visible and invisible. Thrones, principalities, dominions, rulers, authorities. All things were created by Him and for Him.
Take note of those last words:for Him.
Lahat ay nilikha Niya at para sa Kaniya. Creation is all about God. History is all about God. Your life is all about God.
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth for Himself. Wala pa tayo noon. But God created everything according to His purpose.
Nang ginawa ng Diyos ang tao, hindi lamang Siya nagsalita. Kumuha Siya ng lupa at hinubog Niya ang tao. He fashioned man by His own hands.
That means you are special to God. Huwag mong maliitin ang sarili mo sa harapan ng Diyos. You can do something for Him. Hindi aksidente na tinawag ka ng Panginoon. Hindi aksidente na nandito ka.
Everything came to being because God created it. Lahat ay fashioned by the Master’s hands.
Trust The Lord With All Your Heart
We know that all things work together for good to them that love God and to them who are called according to His purpose.
Hindi natin laging nauunawaan kung paano. Minsan may mga bagay na nangyayari sa buhay natin na hindi natin maintindihan. But just trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.
Psalm 118:8 says:
“It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.”
Psalm 118:8
Whatever is happening in your life, trust the Lord. Mahal mo ba ang Diyos? Tinawag ka ba Niya? If you love Him and you are called according to His purpose, God can work all things together for your good.
May mga bagay sa buhay natin na akala natin aksidente. Pero sa kamay ng Diyos, even what we call accident can become part of His story.
Our history is really His story. Hindi talaga sa atin ang istorya. Player lang tayo doon sa story ng Panginoon. We are what we are today because of His amazing grace.
Ako ay ako ngayon dahil sa biyaya Niya lamang. Not because of me. Not because of what I have done. Lahat ng meron tayo, dahilan sa Kaniya.
Wala tayong may pagmamalaki sa Panginoon. Lahat ng alam mo, lahat ng lakas mo, lahat ng kaya mong gawin, galing pa rin sa Diyos.
Jesus Is The Center Of The Story
This story is not about you. The story is about Him.
Bakit nagkaroon ng kapanganakan ni Jesus? Para saan Siya dumating? Because without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins. Walang ordinaryong dugo ang pwedeng magbayad ng kasalanan ng tao.
God Himself, who is Spirit, was manifested in the flesh. That is Jesus Christ. Siya mismo ang nagbigay ng dugo para bayaran ang ating kasalanan.
Hindi naging dalawa ang Diyos. He manifested Himself in the flesh.
Colossians 2:9 says:
“For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.”
Colossians 2:9
Sa katawan ni Jesus Christ nananahan ang lahat ng kapuspusan ng pagka-Diyos. Kung hiwalay ang Father, hiwalay ang Son, at hiwalay ang Spirit, then anong Godhead ang nasa bawat isa? But the Bible says all the fullness is in Jesus Christ.
Sometimes the Bible uses anthropomorphic expressions. Ibig sabihin, gumagamit ang Scripture ng physical or human terms para maintindihan natin ang spiritual things.
Kapag sinabi ng Bible na hindi maikli ang kamay ng Diyos, hindi ibig sabihin may literal na kamay ang Diyos gaya ng tao. It speaks of His power and His ability. Kapag sinabi na Jesus is at the right hand of God, it speaks of authority, majesty, and power.
God is a Spirit. Paano mo makikita ang Spirit? But God uses language that human minds can understand.
Walang mahirap sa Panginoon. Nothing is too hard for the Lord. Anumang bagay na sa tingin mo ay imposible, kayang-kaya ng Diyos. He makes all things beautiful in His time.
Kaya huwag kang mainip. May panahon ang Diyos para sa bagay na hinihingi mo. Trust in the Lord.
You Are Not Your Own
1 Corinthians 6:19 says:
“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you… and ye are not your own?”
1 Corinthians 6:19
Hindi mo na pag-aari ang sarili mo. You are not your own. Why? Because you are bought with a price.
Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.
May isang story tungkol sa isang bata na gumawa ng maliit na bangka. Ginawa niya, pinaganda niya, pininturahan niya, at mahal na mahal niya iyon. Isang araw, habang nilalaro niya sa tubig, lumakas ang current at nawala ang bangka.
Nalungkot siya dahil nawala ang ginawa niya.
Pagdating ng araw, nakita niya sa isang tindahan ang bangkang iyon. Kilala niya agad: “Akin ito. Ako ang gumawa nito.” Pero may presyo na. Kailangan niyang bilhin ang sarili niyang ginawa.
Ganoon ang ginawa ng Panginoon sa atin.
Ginawa tayo ng Diyos. Dahil sa kasalanan, nawala tayo. Pero binili Niya tayo pabalik sa pamamagitan ng Kaniyang sariling dugo. Kaya naging property muli tayo ng ating dakilang Panginoon.
You belong to God twice: una, because He made you for Himself; pangalawa, because He bought you for Himself.
Therefore, you are not your own.
Do All For The Glory Of God
2 Corinthians 5:15 says that Christ died for all, that they which live should not live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them and rose again.
Because Christ died for you, you belong to Him. Hindi ka na nabubuhay para sa sarili mo. You must live for Him. You must live for Jesus.
Paul said:
“Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”
1 Corinthians 10:31
Anumang ginagawa mo, gawin mo para sa kapurihan ng Panginoon.
This church has been functioning according to the purposes that the Lord has given. Fellowship. Maturity. Ministry. Service. Mission. Lahat may bahagi sa gawain ng Panginoon.
Whether you are singing, worshiping, praying, encouraging, giving, cleaning, arranging, serving, or doing something no one notices, do it for the glory of God.
Kung naglilinis ka ng toilet, do it for the glory of God. Kung nagtatapon ka ng basura, do it for the glory of God. Kung nananalangin ka, do it for the glory of God. Kung nag-e-encourage ka ng kapatid, do it for the glory of God. Kapag nagbibigay ka, do it for the glory of God.
Everything that we do, do it all for the glory of God.
Let Us Return To The Heart Of Worship
Let us go back to the heart of worship.
Ang heart of worship ay hindi performance. Hindi ito tungkol sa ganda ng tugtog, lakas ng boses, o paborito nating kanta. Worship is more than a song. Worship is the heart acknowledging that everything is about Him.
Creation is all about Him. History is all about Him. Our bodies belong to Him. Our service is for Him. Our life is His.
Kaya bumalik tayo sa tunay na pagsamba. Lord, we bring You more than a song. We bring You our hearts. We bring You our lives. We give You the glory that belongs only to You.
It’s all about You, Jesus.
Praise the Lord.