CXV. Millennial Preaching

As a follow up to Millennial Christianity;

Although the Millennials are being ruined by liberalism, we have to start to ask ourselves how they got this way.  It is highly understandable that the world has influenced this latest generation.  We see it everywhere.  But what makes it worse is that the liberal tables of lies is now sitting in most of our churches and being served by the pulpit.  Church even though is supposed to be non-political (by "legal" matters) has been highly influenced by the liberal side of politics.  But of course the world doesn't mind that part of church.  The church services we have today are not about God anymore.  They are now focused on us.  Sure, that sounds like a good idea and people should be helped.  But when we lose the focus of worshiping God then we lose the focus of the purpose of the church.  This is just an example of what is being said here: Modern Church Worship.

The world drives our pastors'/ministers' words when it should be Spirit-driven.  The church is now more of a self-help clinic and the Bible becomes more of a self-help book.  We might as well bring in Tony Robbins to do the delivering of the Word or sign up for YouTube ministries.  That is not to say that Tony Robbins is not welcomed or that one should not deliver the message of God on YouTube.  But the point is that it's not how we deliver the message but how we deliver the message.

For the past few years what has been noticed is basically this*:  About half of the service is spent on what people can do to live a better life.  "4 steps to a better relationship", "Learn how to deal with life",  "Answering Life's Questions", "40 days to be a better Disciple".  Yes, these are all good lessons and people should know them but these are not what the church needs.  And of course these are all done in a series--to keep people coming back to hear the next step to be a success.  One third of the service is about worship time (the actual most important part of church) but as the link above shows this is what we get out of it.  The other part of church service is spent on rituals that people don't understand such as communion and tithing.  Only one small part of the service is spent of reading the word of God, mentioning what Jesus did for us, or finding out what God wants us to know.  We talk about life, filled with stories about people and how they deal with things and then throw in some scripture.  That is opposite of what it should be.  We should spend most of the time in the actual word and then figure out what it means to us.  God speaks to us that way.  The service is now watered-down to fit the "needs" of the generation---one that can't focus for more than 10 minutes at a time, one that can't do anything without their phone, and one that doesn't know what God wants them to know because we are too busy trying to feel good about who we are instead of changing who we are.

How can we put all the blame on Millennials when the church watered it all down for them?  Either way, this generation is being taught wrong, and they do not know the truth.

*Based on personal observation from a few churches, either in attendance or viewed in television.

CII. Happy Hanukkak

Hanukkah. You might know it as the Feast of Dedications. This was a relatively new feast as compared to others in the Bible such as Feast of Unleavened Bread (Passover or Pesach) and Feast of Booths (Sukkot). Many think that the miracle of Hanukkah is not a reliable story. But it was one that Jesus celebrated. In John 10:22 it says that while Jesus was in Jerusalem he was in the Temple during the Feast of Dedications.

Hanukkah's short story is that during a time when Israel was under control of a Greco-Persian Empire there was a revolt by the people of Israel. They refused to be listen to this empire. And after the revolt they were going to rededicate the Temple. A menorah was lit and they were going to light a candle for each night of the dedication but only found one flask of oil, enough for only one night. But the miracle was that it burned for eight so a different type of menorah is lit for the days of Hanukkah in modern times.

Worshiping YHWH was outlawed by the empire but the Jews refused to listen. While Torah readings happened sometimes the empire would raid homes and synagogues and to throw the officials off the Jews would take out spinning tops with four sides and hid the Torah. The officials thought they were playing games. So, today a dreidel is now used to commemorate the days.

 

On the dreidel there are four letters. The letters correspond with the words "a great miracle happened here". Why is this important? The only time in scripture that Hanukkah is mentioned is in John 10. What is the connection? If you read Jesus' ministry in a chronological order it would be the first time that Jesus told the world that He is God!
 

Tell the world.  Tell people happy hanukkah because you will be telling them you are dedicated to the One who is God.  You proclaim that Jesus is God.  Happy Hanukkah.

XCVIII. Quid est Ecclesia?

What is the Church?

 

Old Testament terminology equates it to the Temple.  The first temple was the Tabernacle or the Tent of Meeting.  Everywhere the Jewish nation went they would set up a place to where the priests and Moses could go to God and talk to Him, sacrifice, pray, and worship God.  When the physical Temple was built by Solomon all of the symbols and items from the Tabernacle were placed inside, most importantly the Ark placed behind the Veil.  The Temple was divided into parts.  Depending on who or what you are is where you could go inside the Temple.  But only those close enough to God were allowed to go behind the Veil, the curtain that symbolicaaly separates man from God, which Jesus's death caused to be torn in two.  For more information on the temple see http://ideasoftimreligion.blogspot.com/2008/08/iv-worship.html.  The point here being that no matter where God's people are there is God as well, permanently.

 

New Testament terminology equates it to us.  This new temple is what we are.  The Church are not individuals though.  The Church is a body.  Some are hands.  Some are feet.  Some are speakers.  Some are seers.  But these both have something in common and its the same connection the Old Testament Temple had; God is always there.  And if God is always there how can you let worldly ideas and actions into the Church and/or Temple?

Keep in mind, the church is not the Church.  Small "c" means thet building.  Capital "C" means Christ's body.

 

The Church is suppose to be:

1. Spirit-led, not man-led
2. Glorifying God, not humanistic
3. Use of gifts to help serve people and God, not show casing human ability
4. Holy, not worldly
5. An organism, not an organization
6. Loving, compassionate, hospitable
7. Witnesses!

But what has the Church become?

1. Leaders with egos that can not see past their own accomplishments to see the hurt in some.
2. Worried about growth in numbers instead of growth in spirit.
3. Entertainment focused and "jamming" instead of true worship (putting God first).
4. Lost in culture and becoming immune to the world's sickness.
5. Business and less personal, more worried about reputation than character
6. Divided, hypocritical, worried about reputation instead of character
7. Bad examples because the world sees no difference between living a Christian life and a non-Christian life.

The Church is supposed to be separate from the world for we are not part of this world.  Yes, we have to live in it and deal with it but nowhere in the Bible does it say we are to become part of it.  The book Animal Farm, although not about Christianity, ends exactly the way what the Church has become.

• "Twelve voices were shouting in anger, and they were all alike.  No question now, what had happened to the faces of the pigs.  The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to, and from pig to man again but already it was impossible to say which was which."

The pigs who were supposed to be different and make a change ended up taking on what the humans were doing and in the end became just as bad as humans.  Now, we are all sinners, so do not take away from this Thought that Christians are "better".  That is far from the truth.  What it is saying is we are supposed to act better.  We are supposed to change the world.  But the Church has become so liberal and weak, has watered down the message of Christ so much, has lost the true meaning of worship so much, that the culture ended up changing it.  We have allowed the culture to change sermons, our service to people, our charity, our education, and the worst is we allowed it to change our worship.  A non-Christian would say that is a good thing because it would make the Church easier to deal with.  But due to this changing the Church has become insincere and less relevant to this world.  Ask Europe.  http://ideasoftimreligion.blogspot.com/2008/10/xiii-church-of-culture.html

 

Yet, the big problem is those who are supposed to be temples do not live holy and don't see the problem.  They want to justify their own beliefs and actions.  Church leaders get egos and prideful and blinded.  They look for validation from friends and family.  The people find excuses to not live outside the culture.  The Church is dying because it is not being the Church.  The Church is supposed to be a witness to the world.  The Temple (you) is with God always.  So, how can we as the Church as a whole or as an individual Temple allow the culture inside?

And the last thing, the Church is not INSIDE a building.  It goes OUT to the world.  Too many people think the church building is the place to get saved.  No, technically the church building is for the Church.  You get saved in your heart, not a building.  But still the church building is there for a reason as well.  It is a place of worship and education but it is also a place where people can feel safe and comforted; a haven, if you will.  The building is a symbol of where someone cango who is feeling down and out because the world has beaten up on them.  When people come into the church building they want to feel safe.  They want to forget their troubles that the world and culture has caused them.  Yet, what does the Church offer?  Programs, sermons, and worship that is filled with the same culture that destroyed the individual in the first place, and mostly just to get a good reputation in the community.  It's like an alcoholic goes to church and the Church offers them a drink and people think the church is cool then.

 

After reading this many will try and rationalize that reaching the culture means we have to use their ways to bring them in. Jesus went into the culture, He did not become part of it. This is not to say that church buildings cannot hold fun events and be entertaining to crowds. But the event has to be real and sincere, it is not a place to showcase one's talents for their own glory.  Coffee and donuts never saved anyone.  How far can worship service use secular ideas before true worship is sacrificed?  Where is the line?  Answer:  it should stay out as a piece of worship, unless there is a point to it.

Other Thoughts you need to read for more explanation:

http://ideasoftimreligion.blogspot.com/search/label/Worship

LXXXVII. Worship 21st Century

Found this from another blog.  This pretty much says it all about what worship has become.

No substance.  All show.  All production.  All masquerading as "reaching the masses".  That actually translates into insincerity, either intended or not.  If all they do this for is to bring people in then they are not doing what the real command is.  Sure they do it to get the message out.  But the message is (cliche time) watered-down to where the message it seems is more like suggestions than commands.  Many of these new worship bands, which in name itself tells the whole story, play each week as if they are playing instead of leading.  Solos, frets, rolls, streams, and lights are now part of the show.

The Church wonders why people do not get involved with any ministries.  The Church wonders why people do not give enough to support the charities the Church supports.  The Church wonders why people don't fully commit their lives to Christ.  The Church wonders why their influence in the world is being lessened as time goes by.  It is because of the Church.  It no longer sets the example in the world so God got kicked out of everyday life.  Now the Church no longer sets the example of what worshiping God is all about.  In both cases the "me generation" is still alive and well.  Make me feel good.  Make me get the stuff out of my life that keeps me burdened.  Give me something I can listen to to feel better about all the mistakes I have made in my life.  And whatever you do don't tell me what I have done wrong.

Overtures, curtain, lights, this is it, we'll hit the heights, oh what heights we'll hit, on with the show this is it.  Bugs Bunny Worship time.  All fun and no work.  Worship is a sacrifice and until Christians understand this then no worship is true worship.

This is not to say that there can't be any fun during worship.  Do not add words to this Thought that is not there.  Worshiping God is supposed to be fun but even more importantly it is supposed to be about Him, NOT us.  And the most important, it is supposed to be real, not staged.

LXXX. The Sound of Music

Music was created for the soul to express itself in a heartfelt way.  The beat of music usually can coincide with the beat of the heart.  If one is feeling pumped and ready to move then an upbeat tempo may suit them.  If one is feeling low and depressed then a slower tempo perhaps would make them be able to express their emotions.  There are different reasons for music.  These are some: entertainment, love and other emotions, poetry and art, dance, and even teaching.  Most can be combined if you find the right words and melody to put together.  But there is another reason that is specifically designed to do one very important thing--worship.  Sure you can also combine some of the other reasons with worship but there is something that is definitely needed; the right words and meanings.  To understand what worship is please read the following:  http://ideasoftimreligion.blogspot.com/2008/08/iv-worship.html

In 1984, Prince (and he was called Prince then) and the Revolution created the LP called Purple Rain.  In one of the songs the lyrics mention the "after world".  And since he did this many people thought he had a positive message and may even be spreading a Christian-like attitude.  Of course later on in the LP Little Nicki destroys any notion of that feeling.  Anyway the point being made or the question being raised is, how much music can be considered positive or even pleasing to God?  Just because Godly values may be mentioned, does that mean it is a Godly message?  Through two sites and 55 votes here are the results from last month's poll:  Should secular music ever be played in a church service?

• 47% said, It's okay if it has a point to it.  This would be okay as long as the point was not to worship God with.  If it was a teaching point such as one reader explained that his church used AC/DC's Highway to Hell to get people to understand without Jesus we would all be on a highway to hell.  Ok.  But that should not be used a s a worship song.  There is a huge difference between playing a song and using it as worship.  There is a huge difference between what churches call a worship "service" and real worship.
• 29% said, No. There are enough Christian and worship songs.  This is perhaps the best answer.  There are so many songs today that nothing else is needed.  And if that isn't enough there is the original "song book" with Psalms.  But then again, some songs are remade by Christian artists and they have tried to add a Christian meaning.  If the meaning is there and it is meant for the glory of God then it is still okay.
• 9% said, It's okay because it is a way to reach the unreached.  How is using a secular song going to reach an unsaved generation?  True story: A certain church service used a song by a modern pop rock band as a worship song. The song did have a strong message and if some words were taken out it could have been mistaken for a Christian song. But the band, when looked at from a fuller picture, does not have the most positive message for people to hear in other songs (sexual content, vulgar language). What type of message is this church giving to the congregation and the culture that is looking for Christ? They are showing that there is no difference between the way one is living and the way one should be living. Do you worship God by using non-meaningful words to stir a secular emotion? This is what someone once called a manufactured emotional high. It's not real. And then try to tell people the greatness of God.???  Worship is not for the unreached.  It is for the believer to be used as a way of expressing his/her feelings back to God.
• 7% said, It's just wrong no matter what.  Maybe not no matter what, see above reasons.
• 4% said, Yes. There is nothing wrong with it at all.  So, to worship God we should sing Madonna's Like a Virgin, because maybe she is singing about Mary?  For those who answered this way you need to learn what worship is all about.  There is a line that should not be crossed.
• 4% said, Other.

The type of music isn't the question.  It could hymns of old.  It could be dance.  It could be pop.  It could be rap.  It could be hard rock.  It could be non-instrumental.  It even could be country if it had to be.  It's the message that counts. You could have the slowest of songs played with harps and a piano but have the worst words in the history of mankind.  And it could go the opposite way as well. Many hymns came from secular songs and many do not even have worship elements since they only tell of an emotional story, so even some of them are just not correct to use, as worship that is.  It's not the loudness of it.  It's all about the message and meaning.

Although man is the instrument, God is the musician.  The instrument should play for the musician.

LXXVII. Christianity-Lite

We were called to be the light of the world not lite in the the world.

Churches reach out to seekers but without any substance.  They cater to those who have never known Christ but show them just a shadow of who He really is.  Here is an example of this:  a certain church service used a song by a modern pop rock band as a worship song.  The song did have a strong message and if some words were taken out it could have been mistaken for a Christian song.  But the band when looked at from a fuller picture does not have the most positive message for people to hear.  What type of message is this church giving to the congregation and the culture that is looking for Christ?  Worship God by using non-meaningful words to stir a secular emotion?  And then try to tell people the greatness of God...

It's not the music style that is the problem.  It's not the song in itself that is the problem.  It is the deeper meaning of what worship is supposed to be about.  God looks for those who truly worship not ones that just go through the motions.

• The purpose of Christ is simple:  He died because of our sins and He rose again so those sins are gone.
• The message of Christ is simple:  follow His teachings and you have eternal life.
• The teachings of Christ are simple:  there is a way that leads to life and that is to leave your pride behind and do what is right

If all of these are simple then why are churches making it so hard for people to understand who Christ really is?  They give them the watered-down version.  When this type of version is given to the people then the three simple things mentioned above become hard to follow.  Jesus becomes less important because lifestyles aren't changed that much.  Sure, we all have messy spirits and souls to deal with, but those who know the truth of Christ know not to be satisfied with this messiness.  When we accept Christ we are supposed to be a new creation, one that has gotten rid of the old life.  Jesus said that we can not serve two masters.  If we do not give up our old lives then how do you live a new one?  We are supposed to use the new wine with new wine skins.  What does this all mean?  If you really want to believe in Christ and want to live a new life, then you have to get rid of the old ways.  If you do not, your life will never be fully complete.

Many people, even church leaders, think using that are popular to the world is a way to reach a culture that has been lost.  They feel if you use their language and their styles then they will accept who Jesus is easier.  For the most part, of course this seems like the right thing to do.  These people need to see how much they need a savior in their life.  But if you never show them that the reason why they need a savior is because of their present lifestyles and then don't do anything to change their lifestyles because all you are doing to imitating them, then they will never know the truth.  But leaders will argue that Jesus went to the culture such as when he ate with Matthew and all of those whom the Jews considered sinners.  Yes, Jesus went to the culture but didn't become one of them.  Today the church has become part of the culture and is now being lost in the culture.

We are sending missionaries out into the world.  It is a shame that they may have to send them back into the churches.  Churches need to get back to the truth and stop pulling punches.

L. Are you Lukewarm?

Sent from a friend via email. Thought it was good. From a book called Crazy Love. It describes what a Lukewarm Christian is and signs of being one. This of course is something that Christ told us not to be.

1. Lukewarm people attend church fairly regularly; it's what is expected of them to be "good Christians."
2. Lukewarm people give money to charity and to the church... as long as it doesn't impinge on their standard of living.
3. Lukewarm people tend to choose what is popular over what is right when they are in conflict. They desire to fit in both at church and outside of church; they care more about what people think of their actions than what God thinks of their hearts and lives.
4. Lukewarm people don't really want to be saved from their sin; they want only to be saved from the penalty of their sin. They don't genuinely hate sin.
5. Lukewarm people are moved by stories about people who do radical things for Christ, yet they do not act. They assume such action is for the "extreme" Christians, not average ones. Lukewarm people call "radical" what Jesus expected of all His followers.
6. Lukewarm people rarely share their faith with their neighbors, friends, or coworkers. They do not want to be rejected, nor do they want to make people uncomfortable by talking about "private" issues like religion.
7. Lukewarm people gauge their morality or "goodness" by comparing themselves to the secular world. They feel satisfied that while they aren't as hard-core for Jesus as so-and-so, they are nowhere as horrible as the guy down the street.
8. Lukewarm people say they love Jesus and He is indeed a part of their lives. But only a part. They give Him a section of their time, their money and their thoughts, but He isn't allowed to control their lives.
9. Lukewarm people love God, but they do not love Him with all their heart, soul and strength. They would be quick to assure you that they try to love God that much, but that sort of total devotion really isn't possible for the average person; it's only for pastors and missionaries and radicals.
10. Lukewarm people love others but do not seek to love others as much as they love themselves. Their love of others is typically focused on those who love them in return, like family, friends and other people they know and connect with. There is little love leftover for those who cannot love them back, much less for those who intentionally slight them, or with whom conversations are awkward or uncomfortable. Their love is highly conditional and very selective, and generally comes with strings attached.
11. Lukewarm people will serve God and others, but there are limits to how far they will go or how much time, money and energy they are willing to give.
12. Lukewarm people think about life on earth much more often than eternity in heaven.
13. Lukewarm people are thankful for their luxuries and comforts, and rarely consider trying to give as much as possible to the poor.
14. Lukewarm people do whatever is necessary to keep themselves from feeling too guilty. They want to do the bare minimum to be "good enough."
15. Lukewarm people are continually concerned with playing it safe; they are slaves to the god of control. This focus on safe living keeps them from sacrificing and risking for God.
16. Lukewarm people feel secure because they attend church, made a profession of faith at age twelve, were baptized, came from a Christian family, vote Republican, or live in America.
17. Lukewarm people do not live by faith; their lives are structured so they never have to. They don't have to trust God if something unexpected happens - they have their savings acct. They don't need God to help them - they have their retirement plan. They don't genuinely seek out what life God would have them live - they have it mapped out. The truth is, their lives wouldn't look much different if they suddenly stopped believing in God!
18. Lukewarm people probably drink and swear less than average, but besides that, they really aren't very different from your typical unbeliever. They equate their partially sanitized lives with holiness, but they couldn't be more wrong.

Thank you for sending this our way.

XXIII. Why Church Anyway?

This is the result of last month's poll.

• 100% Church is for worship
• 100% Church is for learning
• 66% Church is a place to get re-energized spiritually
• 25% Church is a place to get saved
• 25% Church has some other reason as well
• 8% Church is a place to get financial help

It was good to see that not many said the Church was a place to get financial help. This idea has beaten the Church to a pulp. Need a place to stay? Go to the Church. Need food on your table? Go to the Church. Need bills to be paid? Go to the Church. Need morals to go out into the world? Nah...keep them in the Church. To say that the Church is a financial institution like a bank is to abuse what the Church is. Now that is not to say that the Church is not to go out and help financially. Because the Church is called to do that and it should help financially whenever they can. But the Church should not be a place where people should take advantage of others which is what happens in today's world. The Church should be out in the world helping others anyway before they have to come to the Church for help.

What is the 25% that said it is for other uses? What are those uses? Help if any has an answer.

It is a place to get spiritually energized. This should have been 100%, not just 66%. No one goes to church to get depressed. People go to get uplifted. People go to help others, which can energize you. People go because they are hurting and need someone to help them. Sometimes worship is not on the mind of some when they walk into the doors. Hopefully by the time they leave it will be because they have been re-energized. Worship teams...remember that! You have been given a huge load of burden.

Two things are for sure. Church is a place of worship and learning. The building, although not the Temple itself, is a place where people can come together and worship Christ. It is also a place to learn about Christ and His life, His love and mercy, His desires for us and His commands. It's not the only place but it is one of them. Why was the original "temple" built? It was so man, who although should be a spiritual being, could worship in a physical capacity. It was a place where man could meet with God. God did not need the building, man did. A true church will have so much geared towards these two things that people will be begging for more because it will light the Spirit's fire within them.

Notice the last piece here. Only 25% said it was a place to get saved. Here's a hint: IT'S NOT! The Church was built for believers. The church building was built for believers as well, as a place to go to again to meet WITH God, not to MEET God. Can it happen there? Yes. Sure. Was it made for that reason? No. Sidebar: This is one reason why scripture says that speaking in tongues when done around non-believers should not really be done. They will not understand it. It will be out of their element. It edifies the believer as a believer. Edify means to instruct.

Too many times churches become "seeker" churches. They focus on the non-believer during the service and only them. The church is not for the non-believer. It is no THEE place to get saved. The real saving comes when the Church goes out its doors and spreads the Word. This is not to say that some programs or sermons or lessons or anything of the sort can not be geared towards those of little or no faith, but there definitely needs to be something for those who are there for pure worship and learning deeper stuff.

XIX. Let Me Entertain You

Results from the last poll on what do you want to see more of at church?

• 68% more worship. The Church needs to set more time for worship. Worship is the first defense against the worldly pressures. When the Israelites were going to war God told them to put the singers first and lead them into battle. 2 Chronicles chapter 13 tells us that when Judah was being surrounded in battle those with trumpets blew their horns, the men cried out to God and Judah was triumphant that day. This is why worship is so important to the lives of Christians. We're are living in a world that hates us; in a world that will tear us down. Worship lifts us up again because it brings true hope and change. Not like those who only promise hope and change. The question is...how are we worshiping? In truth? For show? For time allotment? Too many churches have a set number of songs they sing each week thereby taking emphasis away from this crucial part of the Christian's life.
• 57% wanted more small group studies at the church. There is a major push to having home studies only. This is not a bad idea but sometimes Sundays are the only day that people have to set aside for studies in this world of go go go. Too many times we forget how important this is. More in depth studies to understand the life God has planned for us are needed.
• 52% say more missions are needed. This is saying that the Church focuses too much time on itself. This may be due to the fact that many churches have been "sub-urbanized" to the core. This cold hearted fact of the suburb mentality may be killing some churches spiritually. The mentality of "keeping up with the Jones'" means people are more self-centered and holding back tithes and offerings to fulfill their own personal mission: Being fulfilled in life by being richly blessed i.e. money!
• Not surprisingly 0% said more entertainment was needed. The big question here is why are churches then focusing on being a form of entertainment? They all will say that is not what they are doing but in reality...yes, they are. Movies, plays, concerts, and all the like are good ways of bringing people in to the church. And they are a great form of communication when used correctly. But why is it every Sunday? Why is it every event? Is the Church located in Los Angeles (Hollywood)? Are we all Clinton and Obama followers? Do we all need to be entertained each week? What happens when the entertainment isn't so entertaining? Will we turn in off just like a bad TV show? Churches need more substance. Even 42% said the sermons need to be more in depth.

A true growing church needs balance. Something for all. But it also needs to get real. Many people who go to church will walk away feeling good but will never hear what the message is all about because they had to run back out into the lobby to refill their coffee cup. Gimmicks are not a correct way of teaching people about Christ. There is a church that actually had auctioned off a car to get people to come to the church. Why wasn't the money spent on the car used to fulfill a mission?

III. Worship

There are steps to worship. As illustrated in the OT (TaNaK), worship begins in the outer courts.

1. The outer courts was a place anyone could go. People met here all the time. Priests gave sermons. People did business. Yet it was still part of the worship center. It was open to all. But once you got to a certain point called the Sacred Enclosure only Jews could enter. So to enter to the next part you had to be of the right physical culture (BODY).
2. The next part was called the inner courts. This is where the praising of Adonai started to take place. Specific prayers were offered. Each went to their own place, men to men, women to women. A focus on Adonai ELOHIM was apparent. Your mind was set upon God. So to enter the next part you had to have the right focus (MIND).
3. The next part was called the Holy Place. Here only the Priests of El Shaddai were allowed to enter. These were the descendants of Levi. They were the only ones allowed because Levites stood behind Moses and followed his leadership during the Golden Calf incident. They stayed close to God and listened to their heart, not their head. God gave them a special place. One that was close to His heart. So to enter the next part one had to be of the right character (HEART).
4. The last step is only for the strongest of hearts, the Holy of Holies. Only the Chief Priest could enter this place. He entered once a year to make atonement for all. He had to be clean in all ways. If he was not found to be cleaned he could die at the altar. This altar was the Ark of the Covenant. The place where God comes down to meet His people. The highest of all worship is when God comes to meet you.

What does this mean for us? It is an illustration of what worship is. Each worship time we have should follow these steps. We start with a call to worship. Kenaniah and all of the worship leaders blew the shofar to let the people know it was time to worship. It doesn't necessarily mean it is time for a song or music but it is a time for fellowship. A time for our BODIES to wake up. Once we are awake we are ready to move into the inner courts. This is a time of praise! Songs should be sung at this point. They should be uplifting and praising God. This sets our MINDS for the next step. Real worship. Getting our hearts ready for the Lord's presence. This is a time to slow down. It is a to get deep with your worship. Ultimate praise becomes a personal issue. You are no longer using your mind you are using your HEART. Once your heart is prepared is when you can meet God.

Here is the problem. Too many churches do not know what worship really is. They think it is a program. They want to put on a show. They don't know how to lead people to the next step in worship. They think all they have to do is practice and put on a presentation. It is not about presentation. It is about participation. People need to participate. They need leaders to get them to the next step. Many people say worship is individualized. Worship is up to each person. Then why have a worship time in church? Worship leaders need to do exactly what their title is: LEAD WORSHIP. The leader has to understand people each week come with baggage. You can't just present something and leave it up to the people. People are hurting. Their bodies are drained. If their bodies are drained then their minds are not thinking right, which means their hearts are not in the right place.

1. There should be no "worship bands". Technically there should be no "worship teams". There should be a worship ministry! These people are more than just musicians. They reach out to people. They are examples. All should be involved.
2. There should be a balance of music played. Not everyone is in the same place. The people who say it is not about the style will be the same people who will refuse to change the style.
3. There should be a time set for praise and a time set for worship. Songs should change from words of praise to words of personalization. All songs should focus on God not on people.
4. Distractions should be kept to a minimal. Remember people have to worship in steps. No one can get to the Holy Place without going through the courts first!

The greatest story of what worship is, is the Menorah. A lamp with seven places. Each place is dedicated to a day of the week. The middle place is "worship" time. There are three places before the middle. This is a symbol of preparation for worship. There are three places after the middle. This is a symbol recovering from worship. Can you imagine worship being taken that seriously? Instead, in today's churches it's all about the production and not what should be produced. What a shame.