Open to God's change

Well here's part 2 of the trilogy! Based on Isaiah 6:1-8, we've been looking at what happens when God's people gather to worship. Firstly we're left 'overwhelmed by God's glory.' Secondly we become 'open to God's change.'

To worship is to change.

The Christian author Dr. Leighton Ford writes,
“God loves us the way we are, but too much to leave us that way.”

There are 2 by-products that take place when God’s people worship. We don’t worship God because of them - we worship simply because that’s what we are created to do. He deserves it. But something happens to us by God’s grace when we worship.

• Holiness

Isaiah has this amazing vision of God. How does he respond?

‘Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips and I live among a people of unclean lips and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.’

He’s convicted of His sin. He’s challenged to the core.

So often it’s in the place of worship, in the midst of God’s presence that we become acutely aware of attitudes that need addressing - an unhelpful pattern of thought, a harsh word spoken, a selfish desire. We’re shaken up and find ourselves repenting.

Have you ever had that experience when you’re at a restaurant, perhaps on a first date? The mood is set, you’re dressed for the occasion, romantic lighting, gentle music in the background; you want everything to be perfect. You’re eating your meal when suddenly you accidentally drop a big dollop of spaghetti bolognaise down your new fancy shirt. Hoping your date hasn’t noticed you try and use your napkin to subtly remove the stain. Looking down you think - great I think I’ve got away with it. However when you leave the restaurant and enter a well-lit room you suddenly you look down and realise that the stain is still there for all to see.

The more we allow God’s light to shine on us, the more we realise the things in our lives that need to be dealt with. With Isaiah, as he realises his sin, God moves in to purify and make clean.

‘Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, “see, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”’

When I was 19 I spent a year in Durban, South Africa working for a church there doing youth work. I initially went with a friend but after a couple of weeks he became sick and sadly had to return home. I remember feeling so alone and out of my depths during those first couple of months.

The first youth meeting I went to I watched as the youth began to worship. I was somewhat shocked when they started to sing - ‘I’m a little teapot short and stout.’ No one was engaged, no one really listened. I was left thinking, how can I ever turn this around. The only conclusion I came to was that I must teach on worship. For months I led worship, taught on worship, and tried to model worship. It seemed to have little affect. Often I’d open my eyes during the worship hoping to see them engaged, with earnest faces, hands in the air, eyes closed. And although I did my best to try and stay open minded about their own expressions of worship, I had to draw the line at ‘wrestling’ and ‘wedgies.’ And that was just the girls!

After months of persevering a change started to occur. On a youth weekend I prayed for the spirit to come and meet with the young people in a real tangible way. Something incredible happened. He showed up in power. That night a number became Christians. 2 girls came up to me saying we’re speaking this funny language and don’t understand it. They had received the gift of tongues even though I’d never mentioned it.

One of the things that got me most was a guy called Wes. He’d been hooked up on drugs and only really came to youth for the girls. As we worshipped he started to cry. I went to chat and pray with him and he started saying, ‘I can’t believe how much God loves me.’ ‘I can’t believe what He’s done for me.’ ‘This is amazing.’ ‘I need to change.’ ‘I don’t want to take drugs anymore. I want to live differently.’ In the worship Wes had a revelation and was changed. He became a different person. This is what can happen in the midst of worship.

Beholding is becoming. We become like that which we worship. If we worship sex, we become lustful people. If we worship money, we become greedy people. If we worship people, we become co-dependent people. If we worship power, we become egotistical people. On the other hand if we look to Christ who is perfect in love, faithful, just, kind, patient, merciful - we become like him and grow in these characteristics.

We often try so hard in our own strength to be better people. We deny ourselves, we beat ourselves up, we push ourselves to be more holy, but so often it doesn’t work. We keep on making the same mistakes.

When we worship, slowly, day by day, moment by moment we change. Often we don’t even notice it, but our hearts are increasing in capacity to love others. We are more self-controlled, we are quicker to forgive. As we fill our gaze with all that God is we are made holy like He is holy.

For Isaiah in the presence of God, he became aware of his sin and shame. But a merciful God reaches out and touches his lips with coal, and makes him pure.

So the first thing that happens when we worship is that God cultivates within us holiness. But the second by-product that takes place when we worship is wholeness.

• Wholeness

We are slowly healed and made whole as we worship. That’s been my experience. The more I allow God deeper into my heart, the more I find security. The less I need to try and earn other people’s praise. The more I sing about Jesus, God takes my brokenness and makes me more whole.

Robert Cornwall was a struggling pastor in Oregon in the 1950’s. Money was tight and he needed some extra income to support his family. As a result he offered his services as a counsellor in a local hospital 1 day a week. On his first day he was led down several corridors by 2 doctors who then proceeded to unlock the door to room 37. ‘There you go,’ they said locking the door behind him. ‘We’ll be back in an hour.’

Room 37 was a padded cell, containing 37 psychiatric patients. Men and women were sat all around - many undressed, totally out of it on drugs. Excrement was all over the cell’s floors and walls. Pastor Robert started to share about who he was and what he believed in, but no one responded to a word he said - they were on another planet. After a while he gave up speaking and felt the Lord lead him to start singing. He found a space on the floor that wasn’t covered in excrement and began to sing, ‘Yes Jesus loves me…’ For the rest of the hour sang this song over and over.

The following week he returned and again spent the hour worshipping through singing the same song, ‘Yes Jesus loves me.’ No one seemed to respond but he didn’t no what else he could do. On week 3, he turned up to room 37 and simply started to sing. This time he saw a giant women, who looked like a ‘prowling tiger,’ approach him. She sat next to him and began to join in the song.

After 6 months 36 out of 37 patients were in self-help wards. After one year all were out of hospital and many had become Christians and were attending Cornwall’s church.

Worship has the power to make us whole. It’s as we worship that we become open to God’s change.