Thanksgiving, Praise and Worship
Part 4
By Iverna Tompkins
Transcribed by Jane Vaughn

Actually – worship is more to be experienced than explained.  You can tear the words apart in the Hebrew, like /shachah/, or /barak/ or /samach/ and discover all the nuances of difference in word meanings and derivations, but it all comes down to this: to worship God is to bow down, to prostrate oneself, to pay homage to, to live in holy awe of, to have an awareness of the greatness of God – and far, far more! 

If just one time, my dear friends, if just one time, God could open our ears and our eyes to hear nature.  In  one simple 10-minute session – you would never cease to praise Him yourself!  Because all of nature, constantly, sounds out praises to Almighty God!  Yes – that’s what the Good Book says (Ps.69:34). 

The ocean fills up (just as we do) in the awesome awareness of His Presence.  It fills up – and swells to a point of Shout!  When those breakers come forth they shout: “Glory to God!”

The wind blows   ::whhhhoooo::   “He is Almighty!”  North wind! – south wind! – east wind! – west wind!  “He holds us by His angels.”  The Bible says that His angels hold them (cf.Rev.7:1).  He looks over and says, “She can release a little of that and you can release a little of that and you can release a little of that.”  When the wind blows, it is blowing under obedience to the Almighty Who has it all in His full control!

I sat out on the desert some time back – alone – I guess you’d call it in meditation (I’ll call it that because it will impress you if I use that word :-)).  But I was just musing, I suppose, with God.  My thoughts were - I don’t know that I actually said it, but my thoughts were: “Lord, all of nature sings praise to You, but out here, this is total stillness!”  It was nearing sunset, and as I sat there in the beauty and stillness of my surroundings, the rocks had cooled just enough from the heat of the day to make a creaking sound – and I got it!

“Just because you can’t always hear it, Iverna, these rocks do cry out!” 

We sing: “Before the rocks cry out…” – too late!  They’ve been crying out ever since creation!  Some of their cries are: “Please manifest the sons of God!” (Rom.8:19). 

I think every lake – every river – every place of beauty that we have… (Is “muck” okay to say? :-)) …that we have “mucked up" to the point of filth – thrown our cans and our garbage around – every place that was once beautiful…  I hear the sound of earth crying: “Oh, please! Almighty Creator! Manifest the sons of God!  Let them come.  Let it be a clean earth again!  Let the beauty You created us with be returned to us!”

In spite of all this praise from His creation, there is something in the ear of God that causes Him to bend down toward humanity – toward the redeemed. 

Picture it with me – All praise – from all of creation – at all times going on.  Oceans – rivers – mountains – lakes – streams – trees – wind.   All praise resounding back to its Creator.  It was just made that way – it quivers toward its Creator (cf.Hab.3).     Are you with me?  Can’t you see it? 

Now, God is used to this!  He’s on the throne – He’s used to this great praise!  The angels are used to it.  When Suddenly!  I hear the voice of God say, “Silence in heaven!  This one, I want to hear!”  And He tilts His ear toward earth, and there’s one person singing so quietly and reverently a melody in the spirit: “I love You, Lord. I worship You. You’re altogether love-ly.”

And the angels say – “So what?  All nature praises.”  I can hear His response to them: “You don’t understand.  All of nature is created without an option to worship – but the redeemed have been given choice.  And when they worship, it is a result of their obedient hearts .  And when it’s a result of their obedience, it is My Son.  It is My Son!  And I want to hear Him.”

Oh, Church, don’t separate it: praise – thanksgiving – fast songs – slow songs.  It’s a life He’s looking for.  And when we put all those redeemed lives together into one Body….  I have a habit that I’ve done for years.  Every time I’m riding in a car and pass by a church, I pray the blessing of the Lord on it – for the pastor and the people.  When all those churches become God-conscious –  they may not be doctrinally sound as we would think of it – but when they become God-conscious, can you imagine the thrill that it is to the Father to hear the Son?  For there are not many sons out there – there’s just ONE!  When we become one in Christ, it’s His Son!  "Look Father, the many sons have become ONE in Me..."  So, together, we’re His Son rejoicing!  His Son trusting Him!  His Son praising!  His Son giving glory!  That is awesome to Him!

A sad story in the Bible is found in 2 Chronicles 26.  We won’t read it or exegete it scripture by scripture, let me just tell you what it says.  A young man, 16 years of age, suddenly found his father dead, and he is assigned kingship.  Just 16.  He looks at everything his father did not do and becomes challenged by it.  (Are you getting this sermon? :-)   Think along here with Holy Spirit interpreting.). 

It isn’t your chronological years that bring maturity – it’s your brain!  Get some sense! :-)    Look at us who have gone before your generation and say, “Well, I know one thing I’m not going to do.”  That’s good; it’s fine!  That makes me a teacher! :-)     If you look at our lives – those of us who are older in leadership – and you don’t like some things, then we have taught you something!  Don’t do those same things! :-)

Uzziah is suddenly in a position of authority and he does some marvelous things.  He did “right” in God’s sight – he had had that lesson from his dad.  He built cities and walls and towers.  Now, you understand how they did that, don’t you?  They had people under them – workers and so forth.  But the flow of wisdom came from the head.  That’s why the pastor had us raise our hands (as the workers) and say, “These hands have been given to me, have been created, to give me the ability to get money to put back into the Kingdom – to be successful.”  Hello?

Authority does the same thing.  If you’re a mother or a father, you have authority.  You may have 40 people over you on your job, but you have authority over something.  And it doesn’t matter your age, your chronological years.  What matters is what you do with what you have. 

If you understand the daily-bread request (Mt.6:11), you can say, “Lord, today, I need some wisdom.”  Don’t just sort the pieces, if you’re on an assembly line – don’t just sort the colors and throw out the imperfect.  Find a clever way of doing it that no one else ever figured out.  That’s wisdom from above.  There’s no such thing as a dull job.  Lots of dull people – doing dull things.  :-)  

Uzziah built cities – he built walls and towers.  He sought God.

Now, verse 5 of that 26th chapter of 2 Chronicles is a powerful verse: “As long as he sought the LORD” he was under that blessed anointing.  It’s not a one-time thing.  It’s not a laying on of hands for some impartation.  I’m not against that, but I don’t do a whole lot of it because I have different thoughts.  It’s okay, the laying on of hands.  But you see, the truth is you don’t need someone to pray for you every single service.  You need to do it – seek God for your self and your situation – every single day!  Or, every single hour of every single day!

Uzziah fought the enemy – and won. 

I said, “He fought the enemy – and won!”  You know, it’s amazing to me how many Christians make fighting the enemy – “the end.”  I hear them moan: “I tell you, I’ve been in a battle.”  You were in that same battle last year, weren’t you?  You either need to let him kill you – or you need to get up and win!  :-)

I don’t like to fight, yet I do lots of fighting in the spirit.  But I don’t live in a constant state of battle.  I refuse to do that – Jesus taught me I didn’t have to!  Sometimes the victory is almost instantaneous: “In the name of Jesus, I command the release of – this!”  At other times – and I don’t understand the whys so don’t come to ask me – at other times, it doesn’t happen like that!  “In the name of Jesus!  I said, ‘In the name of Jesus!’  I mean it – in the Name of…!”   and then, this time, I have to really get into the battle. 

When I run out of words, I’m so grateful for the Holy Ghost!  He knows what to pray! (Rom.8:26, 27) and I’m out! :-)  “I prayed everything I know. I’ve commanded everything – demanded – cast everything out I can think of – and it’s still standing there – looming!”  And I say, “Holy Spirit – Thou are welcome in this place!”  Then   ::tongues!::  and He comes out – and that thing is released!

Now, I come back to Him and say, “Can You give me those words again – on paper?”  :-)  

Some things are only broken in the Spirit.  “They that worship must worship in the spirit” (Jn.4:24 paraphrased).  It’s who you are!  I don’t ever want the enemy to say, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but I don’t know you!” (cf.Ac.19:15).  I want him to know this voice!  When I speak, I speak with the authority of the Christ that lives in me!

Uzziah dug wells.  He trained men.  He was so successful.  It was amazing!  In fact, he even invented the first tanks – war machines.  They didn’t have them before him.  This young man was “tuned in” to Higher Authority. 

But listen to this verse – 16 – “But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to destruction for he transgressed against the Lord his God and went into the Temple to burn incense.”  That sounds good to me.  Doesn’t it sound good to you?  Oh yeah – but you see, he didn’t have that positional authority.  God had laid out the “rules” of worship.

Uzziah was not of the Aaronic tribe.  He was not a priest.  He was not cleansed to be a priest.  But his attitude was: “I have done all of these things successfully – there isn’t anything I can’t do successfully.  And now, I’m tired of being just king.  I want to take the place of another.”

That is such a common thought-weapon the enemy uses on God’s people: “You could do that better than he.”  “They should have asked you to preach – you could beat her all to smithereens.”  And that thing gets inside of a successful person – not a loser – not a wannabee – but a successful person.  And they become agitated.  Our words would be – “I just felt that I should do it.”  What do you think “not by might” and “not by power” means? (cf.Zech.4:6).  The kid (well, he’s not a kid at this point) served, what?  30 years? 

“Not by might.”  You have might.  You’ve got – all this.  And power.  You have all authority.  But you can not violate – regardless of your might or your money or your positional authority – you may never violate the placements of God!

“Well, that doesn’t seem fair.”  Yes, it’s fair – because God knows who to put where and when and how long to leave them there.  But there is no limitation on who can worship.  He could worship out there in the court with the rest of the people.  But he wanted to worship where it would show off – with the incense – with the censer. 

As he walked into the Temple, the priests said, “Oh, no!  This is wrong!”  And they gathered together and said, “Please, Uzziah!  Don’t do this!  This is to your destruction!”

He wrested away from them – pushed away – and declared, “I will want – what I want – when I want it.”    ::clap-clap::  And leprosy hit him instantly.  They had to take him out of the Temple and put him in a separate house where he lived till he died and was buried.  What a waste.  What a tragic waste.

Uzziah’s son Jotham became king and did wonderful things.  But one flaw in his life – and you can guess why when I tell you what it was.  He refused to ever go to the Temple.  He followed in his father’s footsteps – in helping the people – in blessing them – in being a good king – but he said, “I will never set foot in the Temple where my dad was hurt.”

What does that have to do with worship?       Everything.       We make the mistake as leaders – I’ve done it myself – of saying, “Each one worship God in his own way.”

The Bible doesn’t say that.  The Bible says, “Worship God in spirit and in truth.”  Worship God – God’s way.  He’s looking for those who are redeemed – or will be redeemed – but He does not want “sick” worship.  He wants you to worship Him from the depths of your heart – with sincerity and honesty and even abandon.  He’s is looking for worshippers who will worship Him – because of Who He is.