Worship

The first Biblical account of worship is found in Genesis chapter 4 in the story of Cain and Abel. Cain and his brother, Abel, are making offerings to the Lord - a form of worship. Cain only brought "some of the fruits of the soil" while Abel "brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock." The text tells us that "the Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor."

From the text, it's obvious what the difference between the offerings or form of worship is by the brothers. However, we must infer what the relationship was like between each brother and the Lord. Cain wasn't moved to bring but "some of the fruits" while Abel had the kind of relationship with God by which he was inspired to bring "fat portions from some of the firstborn." In other words, Abel set aside the best portions first before he met any of his own needs and Cain worshiped God with only the leftovers.

Our worship is always directly proportionate to our relationship with God. If our relationship is flourishing and God is first in our lives, our worship reflects that. Conversely, if we connect with God only once in a while and he is but a mere occasional presence in our life, our worship will reflect that as well.

This weekend at City on a Hill Church, I'm teaching on "Ordinary People Experiencing Extraordinary Lives - Through Worship". We'll discuss how worship affects our ability to experience God in extraordinary ways. Please join us.