By Pastor Chad A. Stafford
In Worship and Witness by David Wheeler and Vernon Whaley, they state that worship is transformational. [1] They argue that “God
uses our obedience, repentance, spiritual growth, and relationship with Him to
transform us.” [2] They say further that “one way we experience transformation is through obedience to the Holy
Spirit’s direction.” [3] I too believe
that God transforms the worshiper through obedience. King David equated obedience as the highest form of worship. “When our hearts remain attentive to the
Spirit’s transformational work, we can experience transformational worship and
display the Spirit’s work to the world.” [4] A great example of this can be
found in Acts 1 and 2 at Pentecost when the disciples’ tarried in Jerusalem for
the fulfilled promise. Their obedience
to the command of Christ was an act of worship that placed them in a position
to receive the promise of the Spirit’s power.
“Sin robs us of our ability to be Great Commission worshippers.” [5] The Bible
teaches that sin is enmity to God and thus separates us from Him. The word enmity literally means to be hostile
or opposed to God. Living a life that is
hostile to God is obviously incongruous and antithetical to a life of loving
worship and devoted obedience. It simply
is not possible to please God with a divided heart. Our sin must first be dealt with if we want
to commune with our God who is holy. Think Isaiah in Isaiah chapter 6. Our
sin must be remitted or taken away as Isaiah’s was. [6] This happens when our
spiritual eyes are opened to behold His glorious splendor and we recognize His
true holiness in light of our sinful depravity.
Once we have been enlightened by the Truth, conviction comes to us by the
Holy Spirit and we are given an opportunity to repent and be set free. Repentance involves a change of mind AND direction which leads to life transformation, or transformational worship as
the authors’ call it. In Isaiah 6, God
initiates Isaiah’s vision, cleansing, pardon, and calling – and so it is with
us. God initiates the redemptive act and
we are saved by grace as we respond in faith, confession, and repentance. God always takes the initiative in restoring the
broken relationship between God and man. Our humble acknowledgment and repentance from sin
leads to transformation and readiness for service.
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The authors’ describe
spiritual growth as a result of transformational worship. Just as a flower naturally grows from a seed
in the ground or a baby eventually grows to become a toddler, a child, a
teenager, and eventually a full grown adult, spiritual growth naturally occurs over time in
the life of the healthy believer who is walking with God in obedience to his Word. So, if you are struggling with obedience - don't give up. He who began a good work in you is faithful to complete it, but you also must cooperate with that work of obedience by renouncing sin in your life. This turning from sin and obedience to God’s Word leads to spiritual growth AND transformational worship! David said in Psalm 1 that the righteous
ones who meditate upon God’s Word day and night would be like trees planted by
living waters that never stop bearing fruit in its season and whose leaf does
not wither. Jesus also said in John 15
that as we abide in Him multiplication will naturally occur. Jesus calls us to not only to bear fruit but to bear much fruit. However, apart from Him
we can do nothing! Therefore, I would argue that Christ-connectedness and dependency upon Him is the key to
personal spiritual growth and transformational worship.
In other words, we need to see transformational worship and spiritual growth as the natural and eventual outflow of a healthy and abiding relationship with Christ.
The authors correctly argue in Worship and Witness that God “greatly desires an active and personal
relationship with His children.” [7] How did God demonstrate this to us? By giving
His only Son to die in our place while we were still in our sins. [8] What further proof do we need to be convinced of God's love and desire for a restored relationship with mankind? In John
15 we see that our connection to Christ involves intimacy, communion with,
and dependency upon Christ. Jesus said
in verse 4, “Remain in me, as I also
remain in you. No branch can bear
fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless
you remain in me.” [9]
Finally, we were created for relationship with God AND others which is why Jesus said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and
with all your mind. This is the first and greatest
commandment. And the second is like it: Love your
neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two
commandments.” [10] God desires a love
relationship with his children. In
Christ, we are no longer strangers but sons and daughters of our Abba Father. Living in an intimate love relationship
with Jesus Christ wipes away all fear. Fear involves punishment but we have
been made friends of God brought near by the blood of Christ. We have access through Christ to the God who is love and perfect love casts out all
fear. The authors relate our
relationship with God to a marriage relationship where a man and woman dedicate
themselves to loving and knowing one another intimately. Building a love relationship takes time, even with our Heavenly Father. We come to know Him better as we abide in close relationship with Christ who is the image of God. This is a relationship where love, devotion,
communication, and trust can flourish because it is built upon mutual affection, trust, and commitment. As stated earlier, God uses our obedience, repentance, spiritual growth, and relationship with Him to transform us. Like the metamorphosis of a caterpillar to a
butterfly we too
are transformed and conformed to the image of Christ through intimate relationship with Him which is the highest purpose of
transformational worship. Let us daily aspire to this abiding relationship so that we may experience His transforming power in our own lives!
Mega transformational blessings to you in Christ!!
[1] David Wheeler & Vernon M. Whaley, Worship and Witness: Becoming a Great Commission Worshiper,
(Nashville, TN: Lifeway Publishing, 2012), page 38.
[2] Ibid., 61.
[3] Ibid., 41.
[4] Ibid., 40.
[5] Ibid., 45.
[6] Ibid., 42-43.
[7] Ibid., 56.
[8] John 3:16 & Romans 5:8
[9] John 15:4
[10] Matthew 22:37-40
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