Worship God Is Seeking (The Worship Series) , livre ebook

Baker Publishing Group - David Ruis

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58 pages

English

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True worship can only be understood as it exists in the kingdom of God. David Ruis begins The Worship God Is Seeking by revealing how Jesus Christ is the perfect worshipper. During His time on earth, He left a legacy that would teach us what it means to worship with our lives, our hearts, and our every thought and action. Through Christ's example, we have been given an invitation to join with Him in the powerful presence of God for all-out kingdom worship. Find out how to achieve Jesus' perfect worship for yourself as you come with David Ruis on a journey to attain the worship God is seeking.

Sujets

Philosophie et théologie

Christian worship

Informations

Publié par	Baker Publishing Group
Date de parution	08 mars 2005
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781441267023
Langue	English
Poids de l'ouvrage	1 Mo

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0346€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

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P RAISE FOR
THE WORSHIP GOD
IS SEEKING
When David Ruis speaks, his words are some of the most challenging and inspiring I have heard. This book is no different. It is full of biblical and personal insights into the true meaning of worship, containing a timely and powerful message for God’s people.
Tim Hughes
Author, Here I Am to Worship Worship Leader and Songwriter
David Ruis has produced another great work—sans melody. It’s as if while David was writing The Worship God Is Seeking , God was whispering in his ear. Written with pointed clarity and convicting, convincing biblical truth, this book reminds me of the faithful and passionate mercies of God and to “embrace Him as my sole source of life and love.”
Kate Miner
Singer, Live from the Sunset Strip Mom and Writer
When you usher in the King in worship, you also usher in His kingdom. You can’t split up the two—if we’re proclaiming the rule and reign of Jesus, then we’ll expect to see aspects of that rule and reign exploding all over the place. David Ruis gets right to the heart of this in an excellent and original book. Filled with dramatic journeys through Scripture and powerful examples from his own life experiences, David encourages us to view this world, and our lives of worship, through the lens of the kingdom of God. The Worship God Is Seeking is a powerful invitation to Kingdom-based worship, and an urgent summons to Kingdom-infused living.
Matt Redman
Author, Facedown and The Unquenchable Worshipper Worship Leader

2005 David Ruis
Published by Bethany House Publishers 11400 Hampshire Avenue South Bloomington, Minnesota 55438 www.bethanyhouse.com
Bethany House Publishers is a division of Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan. www.bakerpublishinggroup.com
Bethany House Publishers edition published 2014
ISBN 978-1-4412-6702-3
Previously published by Regal Books
Ebook edition originally created 2011
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means-for example, electronic, photocopy, recording-without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
All Scripture quotations are taken from the New International Version ® . Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.
D EDICATION

Anita, my truest friend and ally—you have taken me to places along life’s journey that I would have missed without your insight and love. You make me a better worshiper .
My children:

Tamara, you have caused me to reflect and go deeper many times. Thank you, my daughter . Crystal , you see into life in a very special way. Thank you for the many questions—keep asking . Jael , your love of life and willingness to try anything are an inspiration to me—don’t ever stop. Josiah, your laughter and rhythm give me hope for the future. Thanks, son—keep leading on .
C ONTENTS

Acknowledgments

Chapter One An Invitation to the Journey

Chapter Two Born in Zion

Chapter Three By the Spirit

Chapter Four Spirit and Truth

Chapter Five Creation, Creativity and the Nations

Chapter Six Let Justice Roll

Chapter Seven The Journey from Here

Endnotes
A CKNOWLEDGMENTS
I am so grateful for my parents, Jack and Alice, and my sister, Sandi. Thanks for helping mold me into who I am today, and impacting so much of how I see the world and its Creator.
Thanks to the Regal team, especially to Deena Davis, for rolling with so many twists and turns in the production of the manuscript. Your willingness to work with me and your insights along the way were indispensable in the final product.
I must say a very special thanks to Don Williams, a true friend and mentor. Don, you are an anchor in the swirl of my world, and your encouragement has been strength to me. Thanks so much, and a very deep thanks to Tap as well, for letting me invade your space so much. Much love to you both!
Deep thanks to Sheri McConnell. You have been such a gift to my whole family, and your support and friendship mean the world to all of us. Here’s to many more years of partnership.
Finally, I must acknowledge the many friends and people who have walked in community with us through our adventures in Kelowna, Kansas City, Winnipeg, and now, Los Angeles. In mentioning just a few of you, I am saying thanks to you all. I would not be where I am today without you. Thanks to Jan and Coral, Colin and Cynthia, the Rademakers, Marc Pusch, Brian and Shannon, Nathan and Kendra, Harv and Sue, the leadership team of WCV, Noel and Dona and the whole Himalayan Vineyard family, Doug and Rachel, Mike and Diane, JOEY, Kenny, Randy, Charles, Chris and Jennifer, Jamie and Pam, Colby, the Wiebes, the Trasks, the Janzens, the Heaslips, Sean and Christy, the NewLife team, the ministerial in Tujunga, Gary and Brenda, the Bests, VMG and the international Association of Vineyard Churches.
C hapter O ne
A N I NVITATION TO THE J OURNEY

From time to time the church should take stock of that which is most central, most important and most vital in our common life together. Though we sing with the tongues of men and of angels, if we are not truly worshipping the living God, we are noisy gongs and clanging cymbals. Though we organize the liturgy most beautifully, if it does not enable us to worship the living God, we are mere ballet dancers. Though we repave the floor and reface the stonework, though we balance our budgets and attract all the tourists, if we are not worshipping God, we are nothing .
N. T. W RIGHT , F OR A LL G OD’S W ORTH: T RUE W ORSHIP AND THE C ALLING OF THE C HURCH

It’s time again—time to rediscover the worship that has God at its center . If He’s not at the heart of our gathering together, then what is our liturgy all about? The last thing we all need is just another meeting— God included. Just as He was longing for something beyond sacrifice and burnt offerings in times past, God’s desire today is for worship that is centered more on relationship than liturgy. As we draw near to God, He draws near to us (see Jas. 4:8). Reclaiming the trust that was lost in Eden is at the heart of this encounter.

Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: “Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them” (although the law required them to be made). Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will” (Heb. 10:5-6,8-9).
The worship God seeks relies completely on His initiative, knowing that the only true expression of worship is through the abandonment of all our agendas for His, as we trust in His sovereign power and unlimited grace. It is from this heart posture that true liturgy flows, that music and the arts find their highest calling and that the light of a worshiping community shines as a beacon of hope to a suffering and searching world.

G OD AT THE C ENTER
Impacted by a global culture of consumerism, everchanging technology and postmodern angst, it can be difficult for us to become part of anything that does not exist for our benefit. We are hesitant to embrace anything that inconveniences or challenges our personal opinions and comfort, and so abandoned worship can appear ridiculous. Yet at the core of true worship is a life that gives up everything. It’s not about what’s in it for us; rather, it’s about being broken and humbled before the King of eternity as we lay down our lives and agendas before Him.
Do we know God? Are we willing to wrestle with what it means to live under His kingdom reign? As we seek to cultivate the worship God seeks, theology (knowledge of God and His ways) is essential. Our worship needs to be anchored to the unalterable and eternal truths of who He is and the impact of His advancing kingdom on the earth. The journey into worship is a lifelong pursuit of discovering God in His Word and seeing Him constantly at work in our everyday lives and the world around us.
Without our realizing it, worship can become a commodity, or used as a means to an end. This creates an ever-increasing pressure within the local church to see worship as something to be used for many different purposes: a church growth tool; an evangelistic device; an atmosphere setter; a warm-up for the preaching of the Word; a source of income through publishing and recording; and the list goes on.
It would seem that we are at risk of creating a church culture in which aesthetics and entertainment become the watermark for a great worship experience. We are constantly evaluating the effectiveness of worship by the response of people. We paint a picture of God as a Being who is there for our benefit, and we “view worship as designed to reinforce our basic selfishness, masked under ‘meeting our needs.’ ” 1.
H OW W E P ERCEIVE W ORSHIP
Several things within Christian subculture contribute to our attitudes toward worship. The emerging popularity of worship music and the resulting influence of worship leaders/artists, songwriters and worship bands have had a definite impact. Ten or fifteen years ago it was unheard of that a worship leader and/or songwriter would have an opportunity to make a living outside of vocational church ministry. Today, the explosion of publishing royalties and the popularity of worship artists who have gained almost rock-star status have brought worship to the forefront of the Christian music industry. Worship music has emerged into its own genre. While this growth is exciting on the one hand, and a sign of health for the Church as she steps into her role as a worshiping community, it is a path through a minefield of money, fame and all the dynamics that these bring.
When I wrote some of my earliest compositions for church usage, I never once tho