A new blog post from Julian…

Last Sunday God gave me a picture.  To be honest it kind of shook me to the core, and in away I felt embarrassed.  It actually made me think about my last few Sundays at Church. Had God actually been pleased with my offering of worship?

Imagine you receive a letter in the post from the Royal Household explaining that due to your talents, you have been chosen to receive an OBE, presented by the Queen at the Palace.  I can only assume you would be excited, honoured and probably nervous.  I expect you would give careful consideration to the clothes you might wear, and probably start to worry about how you might greet the Queen – should you bow, and if so, how much?

Once you arrive at the palace, I bet the thoughts spinning around your mind are not – did I lock the front door! You are probably thinking only of the next hour or so, trying to take in the beauty of the palace and being in the moment.  Remember the last time you saw someone receiving an OBE.  They stand in lines similar to us on a Sunday morning. I have, however, never seen anyone chatting to the guy next to them, yawning, or slightly slouching as if they didn’t want to be there and had something better to do! They all look nervous, straight backed and ready to receive!

Stop reading for a moment and think back to your last Sunday of Worship.  Do you notice the difference?

These athletes, comedians, politicians, Nobel peace prize winners had the privilege of meeting the Queen of England and they worked hard to get it.  On Sunday, corporately together with fellow believers, we get to approach the King of Kings and celebrate the salvation that we never even worked for!  I wonder, when you think about your last Sunday’s worship, are you embarrassed? I certainly am.

Now don’t get me wrong, I am not talking about a style of worship here, but rather a heart of worship.  You can bring your praise, your heartache, your tears, just as long as it is real.  What we must not do is bring our sloppy seconds, and expect God to be pleased with us!  On the contrary, I think God might be disappointed with some of my worship. When I think about that, it breaks my heart.

So here is the challenge.  Remember which throne you are approaching this Sunday and who sits on the Throne.  God is eager to see you ………