“The highest and deepest form of worship is not singing or the raising of your hands or doing what you think is important. It is obeying Me from a heart of love!”
I’ll never forget when the Holy Spirit spoke those words to me. His voice broke through above my thoughts as I was standing in the midst of one the most challenging assignments, He has given me to date. Surprised, I quieted my mind to hear what the Lord had to say. He showed me something in the moment He spoke which I had never known before and have not forgotten since. He showed me what He meant when He said to the Samaritan woman at the well, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father.” “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:21, 23-24 NKJV) Holy Spirit continued speaking to me, “You’ve obeyed Me no matter what, and that is the highest and truest form of worship.” His words completely changed my perspective and brought new light and strength to my walk and energized me to finish that difficult segment of my course. As Holy Spirit provided more clarity on His words to me, it turned out that the things that I put emphasis on or seemed more important to me weren’t what the Father was putting emphasis on as being important in my walk with Him.
Let’s explore this word a little more. We know there is an abundance of worship and praise taking place in the heavenlies and around the throne of God. Sincere praise and worship are beautiful and ordained by God. But let us look at something deeper. In the Garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:42 NKJV) the Lord said “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” The Lord Jesus lived in something deeper and higher than simply saying or singing with His lips, “Lord, I love You and I’ll serve You forever.” In addition to vocalizing His devotion to the Father, He PROVED and DEMONSTRATED His undying love for the Father through His obedient actions, AND He did it from a loving heart – even to His death. Jesus demonstrated His faith. Jesus walked in this lifestyle throughout His time in the earth. But it is most highlighted in the hours leading up to and during His crucifixion. Philippians 2:9 Tells us that because of His obedience, He was given the Name that is above every other name. He was elevated to a place far above all creation, Ephesians 1:21 reports. Jesus also fulfilled scripture that was yet to be written – James 2, “…faith by itself, if it does not have works (appropriate corresponding actions), is dead.” Or, we could consider it this way, “raising of hands in worship, without obeying what God has asked you to do and be, is pointless.” This sentiment is confirmed in Isaiah 29:13.
“…Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths And honor Me with their lips, But have removed their hearts far from Me, And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men” ~ Isaiah 29:13 NKJV
Jesus walked in constant, willing, obedience to the Father. He didn’t resist and disobey the Father during His day-to-day life activities and then show up for the proverbial “big game” at the crucifixion; neither did he succeed in obeying God in the easier level things of life, and then when it came to the crucifixion fail to persevere through to the very end – His resurrection and ascension. He built a lifestyle of obeying His heavenly Father. (Hebrews 5:8) You may be saying, “But that’s Jesus and He is God.” And you are right - He is God. However, as God, He had the absolute right, power, and ability to make another or any other choice for Himself…yet He didn’t. Jesus was, is, and will forever be submitted to God’s divine order – to do all things as the Father would have them done, as is the Holy Spirit. The Godhead is not subjugated but willingly submitted to the divine order of God. Matthew 26:53-54 and John 16:13 give us a glimpse into this truth. The Lord Jesus stayed the course that the Father laid out for Him (with the help of Holy Spirit) and because of His willing obedience, He was highly exalted and given His most precious, holy, and exalted NAME that will ever be given.
Let’s make some scriptural connections...
The Lord Jesus’ declarations of “Not My will, but Yours be done” was not an emotional response to being in the presence of God and feeling touched by the Father’s glory or compelling music being played. It was Him declaring from His Spirit to His physical body and His soul (mind, will, and emotions) that He was going to do EVERYTHING the Father asked of Him – in the manner that His Father ordained it to be done - and those parts of Himself (although given by God) had no right to alter His course in any way or sway Him to do anything outside of absolute obedience to the Father’s will; so they’d better shut up and get in line!
The Lord Jesus put into practice everything that is found in the word that pleases the Father, not because He is God, but because as a Man He chose it. What are those things? #1 If you love Him, you’ll keep His commandments to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. 2# To love your neighbor as yourself. To Jesus, all that was included in obeying the Father – even to the crucifixion - was not legalism or force. It was love and His faith in action. (John 14:15, 1 John 5:3) We are made in His image and in His likeness and we have the same rights and ability to make our own choices. God will never violate His spiritual law granting humanity free will. And, because of that, the highest form of worship is when we - His children - willingly choose to lay down our ability and our God-given right to go another way, and instead take up the Lord’s desire and way as our own. (Luke 14: 26, 27, 33; Isaiah 1:19)
The four living creatures around the throne of God who cry, “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!” and the twenty-four elders who cast their crowns before the throne of the One have this in common – they are worshiping the Lord with their mouth, and they are obeying the will of their Creator as this is what they were created to do! This obedience to God’s divine order is what separated Jesus, these heavenly angels, and separates us (believers) from Adam in the Garden of Eden, the fallen angels, Satan, and the people on this earth who are perishing. (Compare John 8:44, John 5:30, Revelation 12:7-9, and Hebrews 2:16)
Often our flesh and circumstances arise to put pressure on our emotions and our mind’s perspective which in turn puts pressure onto our physical body to act in a self-willed, self-preserving manner; rather than take up our cross and consistently follow the Lord as is described to us in the word of God. But the same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead is living on the inside of you if Jesus is your Lord and Savior, and the Holy Spirit is also upon you if you’ve received the gift of the baptism in the Holy Spirit; to help you live in the highest and deepest form of worship to the Father. So, pursue the will of your Heavenly Father as led by the Holy Spirit through faith in Jesus, the Christ, with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength; and abide in the deepest form of worship you’ll ever know. Amen!
7 Keys to walking this out:
1) Receive salvation if you have not already. (See salvation prayer here.)
2) Receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit if you haven’t already. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is received by asking the Father in faith, in the name of Jesus, for the (free) gift that He promised to all of His children [John 14:17], believing in your heart that Holy Spirit has come to rest upon you the moment you asked. Believe He is upon you the same way you received salvation. [Roman 10:9] Then, willingly begin to speak with the new language Holy Spirit puts in your heart.
3) Trust that the Lord will do good concerning you. Trust in His love for you.
4) Surrender to the factual truth that God’s ways are higher than yours and are all-encompassing – and your ways are shortsighted, limited, and self-focused. God will lead you in the way that is best according to His all-knowing wisdom and perfect love.
5) Place all your self-made plans at the Lord’s feet. Determine to no longer be self-willed, but to live in the breath-by-breath guiding of the Holy Spirit, founded on the written word of God.
6) Make willingly obeying the Lord your way of life. Willing obedience is a lifestyle, not a one-time event.
7) Daily spend time fellowshipping with the Lord through His written word and in prayer to learn His ways, leading, and prompting. This is the best investment you can ever make.
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