The Unquenchable Worshipper – Chapter One
Due to an equipment malfunction yesterday, we were unable to record Pastor Charles’ sermon for upload here today. Instead, I’ve decided to let you share in a book that I’m currently reading. It’s written by Matt Redman, who is well known in Christian music circles for writing the song “The Heart of Worship.” Worship has become an interesting term for me in the past couple of years as we’ve started a new contemporary worship service at Glenwood. Having grown up attending “traditional” worship all my life, being exposed to a contemporary service has caused me to really consider what worship is all about. What does it mean to worship? Am I a “good” worshipper? When and how do I worship?
Chapter one of The Unquenchable Worshipper is entitled “The Unquenchable Worshipper.” Here’s a quote from the beginning of the chapter:
“But the unquenchable worshipper is different. From a heart so amazed by God and His wonders burns a love that will not be extinguished. It survives any situation and lives through any circumstance. It will not allow itself to be quenched, for that would heap insult on the love it lives in response to.”
Redman points out two biblical examples of unquenchable worshippers, Habakkuk in Habakkuk 3:17-18 and probably the best-known example, Paul and Silas in jail in Acts 16. He then uses fire as a metaphor to discuss how worship can be quenched. Fire needs three things to continue – heat, oxygen, and fuel. As a result, the three main ways to extinguish a fire is to cool the material with water, cut off the oxygen or cut off the supply of fuel. So it is with worship.
The trials and pressures of our lives can be like water to our worship fire. Redman points out that we face a simple choice almost daily. We can fix our eyes on the circumstances or cling to God and choose to worship Him, even when we are hurting. As he puts it, “Though overwhelmed by many troubles, they are even more overwhelmed by the beauty of God.”
Quenching and grieving the Holy Spirit (Eph. 4:30) is how we can cut off the metaphorical oxygen from our worship fire. The point here is that we have to keep in step with God in our everyday lives if we are going to be an unquenchable, burning worshipper.
As noted, the third way of stopping a fire is to cut off the fuel supply. What is the fuel for our worship? The revelation of God. If we open our hearts, God’s revelation comes through creation, history, the cross, His Word. We provide fuel for our worship when we read God’s Word, pray to Him, go to church to share fellowship with other believers, and even get out into nature and see God’s power and beauty there. And this is certainly not an exhaustive list.
Redman finishes the chapter with a note about lament in worship and Psalms of lament. He points out that these are not criticisms of who God is, but praise even in the dark times based on an underlying faith and trust in Him. “Whatever trials lie ahead in this life, unquenchable worshippers are found with a song of undying worship on their lips.”
Next chapter: “The Undone Worshipper”
Written by Brian Beasley.
"But seek first His Kingdom and His Righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well." Matt. 6:33
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