01-September-2013, Sunday
Today, I attended the City Harvest Church service at the Suntec Convention Center. The service started at 10 am with beautiful praise and worship.
After Praise and Worship, Pastor Kong and his wife thanked audience for their prayers and support during this time of crisis. He then invited Advisory Pastor Phil Pringle to share the Word of God. As he took the stage, audience gave him a rousing welcome.
After a brief talk and offering, Pastor Phil shared the sermon titled “True Worship” quoting John 4:23
But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.
God is Spirit and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.
Psalm 95:6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
We thank God for what He has done in our lives, we praise Him for His Greatness, we worship Him for who He is. Thanksgiving will only get you through the gate, Praise through the inner court but Worship will lead you into the Holy of Holies. Everyone aches for connection with the Creator. Pastor Phil then quoted numerous examples of true worshipers from the Bible – Abel, Enoch, Abraham, Moses, Joshua, David.
Don’t underestimate the power of worship. We experience God’s Presence through Worship. When you worship, you will receive the revelation in your spirit.
Revelation 4;11 “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.”
The Church service is as much about worship as about the Word. Never think first 30 minutes as filler. That’s what the real stuff is, said Pastor Phil. Worship is the intrinsic part of the soul. The first commandment is to Love the Lord our God with all our heart and soul and mind. Loving God is Worship and Worship is Love. It’s also a commandment.
1 Timothy 2:8 I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting;
There are 4 elements of a True Worshiper:
- True worship is never non expensive.Mark 14:3-4 3 And being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as He sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard. Then she broke the flask and poured it on His head. 4 But there were some who were indignant among themselves, and said, “Why was this fragrant oil wasted?There is always hatred and accusation of waste when it comes to true Worship. We must worship with the best we can. The anointing flows when we worship. Just as the olive has to be crushed for the oil to pour out, when we worship during our brokenness, the beautiful Anointing flows. Job worshiped God when he was broken. God is close to the brokenhearted and one with a contrite spirit.1 Chronicles 21:24-26 Then King David said to Ornan, “No, but I will surely buy it for the full price, for I will not take what is yours for the Lord, nor offer burnt offerings with that which costs me nothing.”25 So David gave Ornan six hundred shekels of gold by weight for the place. 26 And David built there an altar to the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called on the Lord; and He answered him from heaven by fire on the altar of burnt offering.
- True Worshiper still worship in the midst of trials.Malachi 3:3 He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver;He will purify the sons of Levi, And purge them as gold and silver, That they may offer to the Lord An offering in righteousness.Acts 16:23-26 23 And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. 24 Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. 25 But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed.
- True Worshipers bring Christ at the center.Revelation 1:12 Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands,There are many negative voices in the world and we are easily tempted to watch negative reports. We must turn to God and not give attention to the worldly talks, said Pastor Phil. Enemy will do everything to pluck you out of the Church.Revelation 1:16-18 He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. 17 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. 18 I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.
- True Worshipers are filled with Holy Spirit. When you’re filled with Holy Spirit, you worship and when you worship, you’re filled with Holy Spirit.Ephesians 5:18-19 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another in the fear of GodWhen you’re filled with Holy Spirit, you will be empowered to handle pressures in your life.
At the end of service, Pastor Phil Pringle invited people who wanted to accept Jesus as their Savior to come forward. Many youths came forward at the invitation and shook hands with him. He led the people into salvation prayer. Pastor Kong then came on stage and led the people into beautiful worship by singing “Majesty”. The Anointing was awesome. Every body adored the beautiful Presence of God, lifting their hands on high, basking in the Glorious Presence of God.
Praise God for a beautiful time 🙂
