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The clear call of the Holy Spirit to the church is a call to worship.  This call has been intensified during this time of spiritual renewal. 

Worship is often a controversial issue in the church.  We all have our personal ideas of what it should look like.  And often in the midst of this debate we have lost our perspective. 

Some things are clear.  One is that we were made to worship God.  That is a fundamental purpose for our being.  Revelations 4:11 indicates that we exist for His honor and glory. 

The second thing that is clear is that God desires our worship.  John 4:23 says, “the Father seeks such to worship Him.”  Now God does not have a celestial ego that needs to be stroked but He desires a love relationship with His creation.  He is the heavenly bridegroom seeking the love of His bride, the church! 

Worship has several meanings.  In the New Testament it means “to kiss.”  It is the language of love.  In both the Testaments, it means to bow down or to fall down.  The Psalmist cried out, “Oh, come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.” (Psalm 95:6) 

In John chapter 12 we have an account of one of the greatest acts of worship ever enacted on earth.  Jesus has come to the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus.  He often came there because it was a place of refuge.  Within six days He will hang on a Roman cross.  Of all the people present, only He and Mary knew that He would soon die.  She knew because she had taken time to sit at His feet. 

She desperately wants to express her love to Him.  What could she do?  What could she say?  As she ponders it, her mind settles on her most precious possession.  It was a flask of oil of spikenard.  It was very costly; the equivalent of a year’s wages.  She will bring that to Jesus.  And there are several things to learn. 

We learn that worship is a choice.  Earlier, Jesus had commented about Mary, “that she had chosen the good part.” (Luke 10:42)  So worship is a choice.  I choose to worship or I choose not to.  The choice is ours. 

We learn that worship is costly.  In worship, we are bringers and givers.  Mary’s worship was extravagant.  David said, “I will not give to the Lord what costs me nothing.”  In heaven the worship is extravagant.  Worship that does not cost is not true worship. 

Now observe what happens.  The entire house is filled with a beautiful fragrance.  Like the incense on the altar that filled the place with smoke.  So worship brings the presence of God.  When they sang, and praised and worshipped in Solomon’s temple, “the house was filled with a cloud so that the priests could not continue to minister because the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.” (II Chronicles 5:13-14) 

Finally, we observe that her worship was criticized.  Judas thought it should have been different.  David was severely criticized for the way he worshipped by his wife.  The end result for Michael was barrenness.  We need to be extremely careful that we do not have a critical attitude toward the worship of others or a barrenness will come into our hearts. 

Rather, let us respond to the cry of the angel from heaven who said, “worship Him who made heaven and earth.” (Revelations 14:7) 

Jesus said, “the Father is seeking such to worship Him.” (John 4:23)  May He find us ready and willing.