“At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”
Our culture habit of self serving consumerism doesn’t lend itself to the giving of our whole self spontaneously.
Spontaneity is something we cannot practice. It is a child like celebratory, excited response that comes totally from within.
There is something impossible about asking an exuberant, excited child to stand impassively, unresponsive to something they see feel or hear before them that excites them.
As should it be with us when we focus on the presence of the Lord before and within us.
It is impossible to stand still unfazed we have to move in our hearts and worship with our body as well as mouths.
Standing absolutely stilled and silenced is a response that signifies total awe and wonder but it is not an empty space of nothingness it is electrifyingly full of an awareness of presence and is dynamic.
God has contrasting natures and we need opportunities to be exposed to and to experience all in His vastness.
Time, space and opportunity are so important to having the freedom to respond and receive and time to perceive.
Being containerised by our traditions can suck out that freedom of air and Spirit to be present in the moment and we miss the encounter.
How often do we say ‘’Come Holy Spirit ‘’ and then not wait upon?
Allowing us to feel His presence, albeit we know Him to be there always anyway.
We rob ourselves of precious certainty of His closeness.
“For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.””
Corporate worship offers us time to encounter God in a dynamic that reforms us.
We need rhythms in our life, times and places and patterns but not rigidity.
We need the freedom to get into the place of presence and recognise it.
Just like being at a disco there are some who immediately jump in, uninhibited, to the empty space and dance whilst others are slower to warm up but once up and participating the freer and fuller the recognition of the joy is present.
The enemy attack tries to diminish the value of that space and presence.
God seeks to penetrate without interruption.
God says ‘’where are you? ‘’ knowing full well where we are but wanting us to locate ourselves to Him and His presence and not remain hidden.
“But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?””
Disruption and interruptions distance us and God needs to see us open and worshipping, engaged with Him and pursuing Him.
It matters that our families and children see us worshipping and engaging for how else are they going to know the significance and importance of who we put first in our lives? How else will they grow the desire to seek and taste themselves?
Our Sunday gathering is not just for consuming pleasure from a platform of performance and teaching it is for making a point of contact and encounter with Him.
Everything hinges around this climax, for each one of us, of encountering God.
Failure to reach that place is a let down where we complain about the distractions of failures and irritations of what has or hasn’t been to our taste.
Reaching that place of proximity in encountering spontaneously brings the child like celebration and joy and desire for more that is ‘’pleasing to the Father.’’
It attaches each one of us to the connection of us, the Holy Spirit and God and gives us reason to celebrate.
Like the child with the prize of joy and wonder of a balloon.
The illustration shows us like children exuberantly responding to God’s presence. In awe and electric expectation and wonder of the Holy Spirit moving. Light emanating to push back the darkness.
Three Scriptures that come to mind:
“At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:1-4 ESV
“For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” Matthew 18:20 ESV
“But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?””Genesis 3:9 ESV
The song Rest On Us. Maverick City
Lessisgreater 