Open The Doors

I want us to dive back where we were just a couple of weeks ago and talk about worship a little bit more, okay?

So I want to just kind of lay some foundations and bring out some biblical principles about worship.

Because as is often the case when I opened up the topic of worship two weeks ago, I got stuck.

I got stuck in just that sense of awe, that sense of majesty.

Who is the God that we worship?

That we have to get first things first, keep our priorities straight.

Worship is first and foremost about what?

It's about honoring and glorifying the only one that is worthy.

He is worthy.

But I did mention as we were talking about this two weeks ago, that worship has a lot of dynamics to it and a lot of benefits to it.

And I want you to understand these dynamics and these benefits so that our faith can rise in this place for what God can do as we're worshiping.

How many of you know worship is not the warm-up to the preaching?

Don't get me wrong, I would far rather be in a place that has a powerful worship service and then get up and preach, it's a lot better than just cold, you know, here's the microphone now.

Try and reach this crowd.

But why is that?

Because something is accomplished through worship in us.

Something is already happening in us, and yes, it does prepare us for the word of God.

It does prepare us for what God wants to speak at this point.

But that is not to say that that is only what it is doing.

It's not like, you know, in the winter when you turn on your car and it's sitting idling to warm up in worship.

You're not just warming up to then jump in and go somewhere in the word.

You're already going somewhere in worship.

And for that matter, as mature Christians, we should grow to a place where we're already come warmed up to worship itself.

Amen.

You know what I miss?

Pre-service prayer.

Oh no.

How many of you remember pre-service prayer?

You know, we did it for a little while in this building, but all my time in the old building, I remember that those of us who are there at 9:30 were already praying, already interceding, already entering in, calling on God so that when we started worship, there's already that momentum moving.

And we might not have a structured, organized pre-service prayer, but how many of you know we can decide to pray before service?

That can be on your ride in.

Okay, I know some of you got kids, and that can be interesting.

Uh, but we can decide to enter into his presence even before we get here.

Anyway, we're talking about what worship does today, some of the dynamics of worship, and I want us to revisit some basic scriptures, some foundational scriptures.

How about we turn to Psalm 100 for just a moment?

It's a simple, short psalm, beautiful psalm.

It's gotten incorporated into many songs over the years.

Psalm 100 says, make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth.

How many of you know we're supposed to be joyful in our approaching God?

In our drawing near to God.

Make a joyful noise to the Lord.

Of course, the old joke is that uh not all joyful noises are pretty noises.

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, my brother.

That doesn't necessarily mean we're giving you a mic to go on the platform.

I'm sorry.

We can all make a joyful noise, we can all worship, but that doesn't make us all skilled musicians, amen.

I've been re-reading in Chronicles where David establishes worship as part of the temple, um, you know, singing and music as part of the temple worship.

And uh I couldn't help but notice how it says that they appointed those who were skilled musicians to be on the stage.

They didn't have a stage, but to participate in that worship.

We can all participate, you know, but how many of you know that to be up here leading, we want people who can stay in key?

And some of you will be like, How dare you say that?

That's offensive.

I uh my worship is as valuable.

Yes, it is, for your relationship with the Lord, but it might be detrimental to the rest of our eardrums.

I'm sorry, are you people with me today?

All right, I better get going here.

Make a joyful noise to the Lord.

All the earth, serve the Lord with gladness, come into his presence with singing.

I love singing.

How about you?

I love what singing does to me.

And not just singing, singing to the Lord.

I think it was Dustin Smith who pointed out to me the first time.

Uh he was the first one I heard this from, that music and singing together has this amazing ability to get all of our hearts, literally, like our physical bodies, as we begin to get in that rhythm and we begin to sing the song together, it's like our hearts come into sync.

We're all starting to breathe the same way, starting to beat the same way.

There's a unison that entering the Lord's presence with singing and worship, it breaks down all of our little, you know, I'm off doing my own thing, I've got my own thoughts.

All of a sudden, we're gathering in a united, powerful song together.

Verse 3 know that the Lord is God and it is he who made us, and we are his.

We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise.

That's probably one of the first songs I ever learned as a kid.

I will enter his gates with thanksgiving in my heart.

Yeah, my voice isn't doing that today.

I will enter his courts with praise.

I'm trying.

Oh, that's funny, but why am I bringing us to these verses here?

I'm simply showing us that praise is a gateway into the presence of God.

Amen.

That praise is supposed to take us somewhere, it's supposed to open doors before us.

You know, because I don't know about you, it's easy through the week to feel boxed in, burdened, busy, you know, just carried along by life and responsibilities.

We need to get out of all of that and enter into his presence.

And sometimes it's something as simple as saying, I am here to open my mouth and praise the Lord.

And am I saying you all need to shout at the top of your lungs?

Well, probably those of us who have, you know, can keep a tune, we'll be a little more bold about that.

But there's something about opening your mouth and letting worship words come forth that will change you.

It will change the atmosphere.

Amen.

If we skip back to Psalm 23, we see another well-known verse, but I want you to see these things with me again.

Where the we see in Psalm 22, sorry, in verse 3, it says, Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.

So, number one, we enter into the presence of God through praise and worship, through singing, through music, through these things that we do, but it is within the praises that we give to God as his people that he is seated in authority.

Have you ever thought about this?

Have you ever felt like you're in a place where God isn't moving and you feel powerless?

You feel like there's just no authority to get anything done or move anything forward.

Praise is the place where God rests.

He sits on his throne in authority.

I sure hope you're getting this.

There's authority that comes through worship.

Not I'm not saying that I somehow, you know, mystically gain, you know, some special authority, but I step into the presence of He who has all authority and power.

I step into the throne room of God, I leave other things behind, and all of the sudden, all of the sudden, that weight of authority begins to move in God's people.

Begins to move even through the words that we're declaring.

Because again, we don't come here to sing songs, people.

We come here to partner with the declaration of heaven.

I worship and yes, I'm honoring and praising God, but I am also partnering with the authority of him who sits enthroned in our very presence.

And everything that we in faith declare, yes, singing, yes, through intercession, whatever that looks like, is a partnership that says, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth, on earth, in this room, in my life, in my family, in my community, in it's I'm entering the place of worship to allow him to dictate his will over my life, over the church, over all circumstance.

Because we have a lot of things in our life that feel like they have the right to dictate to us, to give us different marching orders.

But when we get into praise and worship, it's an opportunity to allow God's authoritative voice to go out over his people, to realign us, to release the truth of heaven.

I hope you understood two weeks ago that this isn't just a metaphor, it's not just a symbol, it's not just God's off in heaven and we're down here having our sing service.

No, it's heaven and earth coming together.

God is enthroned in the praises of his people, which of course makes sense based on what we saw two weeks ago, because every time we get a glimpse of heaven in the Bible, we get a glimpse of worship.

You ever notice that?

It's like not once do we get a picture of heaven where it's just static.

I mean, yes, there are moments of silence, and we talked about that, but for the most part, the general movement and flow of heaven is worship.

Just stop and think about that for a moment.

God, who is the Lord of angel armies, and he calls us soldiers as well.

You know, God, when he's in the mid, it's not like there are, you know, just the warriors over here and the worshipers over there, and you know, these are the ones who worship him, and these are the ones he sends out to fight.

No, it's all of us are worshiping warriors around his throne, his angels that are like flames of fire, the Bible said, sent out to do his will, but also us who are covered with his armor, given weapons, a shield, sword.

We are around his throne.

And where do we get our marching orders?

Through worship in the presence of God.

I'll read another psalm to you here.

Psalm 24.

I just love this psalm too much to not read it to you today.

And it speaks about entering, it speaks about God being enthroned as king in the midst of his people.

I'm just gonna read through it if I can, if I can do this today.

Psalm 24 says, The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the world and all those who dwell therein.

He has formed it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers.

Who will ascend to the hill of the Lord?

And who shall stand in his holy place?

He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully.

There's some pretty deep things right there about preparing yourself for entering God's presence through worship.

God, do I have clean hands?

God, do I have a pure heart?

God, have I lifted my soul?

Have I let my heart go after something that is a lying promise?

Or is my heart really after you?

Are my hands really clean?

Is my heart really clean?

You we could go back to Psalm 15 and it says the same sort of thing again.

He who will dwell in the Lord's tent, and it goes through these exact same sorts of things.

There's a preparation.

You can't just bring dirt into the presence of God.

Now, don't get me wrong.

God will meet you wherever you're at, and God can forgive any sin and he can cleanse any iniquity.

If we confess our sin, he is faithful and just to cleanse us of all unrighteousness.

Amen.

But that doesn't mean we can just try and hide all of our garbage, all of our idols, all of our other desires, and think that we can enter boldly into this enthroned, powerful, you know, where God is moving in authority, presence.

Clean hands, a pure heart, a soul that is not lifted to what is false.

Verse 5: He will receive blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation.

Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob.

Seek his what?

His face.

That's just another way of saying his presence.

Because what do you do when you're talking to somebody that you have an honest, sincere, transparent relationship with?

You look them in the face.

Right?

Throughout the Bible, there's this sense of a longing among men and women of God that they would be able to see God face to face.

We know that in our sinful condition, especially when we look in the Old Testament, we're warned again and again that no one can see God and live, right?

But how many of you know that God revealed himself in Jesus Christ?

And so now we can enter boldly into his presence and know him.

We can seek him, we can see him.

These powerful verses, seven through ten.

Lift up your heads, O gates, be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the king of glory may come in.

Who is this king of glory?

The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.

Lift up your heads, O gates, and lift them up, O ancient doors, that the King of Glory may come in.

Who is this King of Glory?

The Lord of hosts, He is the King of Glory.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving.

We gotta open some gates, church.

And again, I got up here and I don't know how it came out and how you heard it in the middle of worship, but one of the things that was just burning in me as I was praying and preparing is this sense of there are doors, church, that need to be opened.

There are doors that we have become satisfied to leave closed.

But it's not because God has closed the door, it's because we have stopped knocking.

And I believe I'm prophesying today when I say that that God has said, knock and it will be opened to you.

Knock and it will be opened to you.

Can I just prophesy that over your life this morning?

I don't know what wall you're up against.

I don't know what door is you're you're right there, and you're maybe feel like it's dark, and you can just see that beam of light on the other side of the door.

But something, maybe fear, maybe shame, maybe guilt, maybe just tiredness and apathy is holding you back, and God is saying, knock on the door, knock on the door, let the king of glory come in, let him come into your prayer closet, let him come into your life, let him come into this church.

Oh, let the king of glory come in.

There's no point calling this thing worship, this song service that we do, if we're not opening doors for God to enter in.

We are not in a covenant where we're standing on the outside, singing, worshiping, offering, and then we go merrily home.

We're in a covenant where all the veils, all the doors are open wide.

He breathed his last, the Bible says, He was on the cross and he said, It is finished.

And he bowed his head, an act of worship, by the way.

If you read it closely, that wasn't just he fell unconscious, he was dead, his body gave up.

His last act on the cross was a declaration that it is finished, and then he bowed in worship to his God, his father.

And what does the Bible say?

The veil was torn in two, the barriers are gone.

You know what I find?

I'm gonna throw this out there.

Even Jews who didn't believe in Jesus have records in their writings, in the writings of the rabbis, that in the years leading up to the destruction of Jerusalem, ironically.

Ironically, I say ironically, right about you know, in the 30s when Jesus died, until the 70s AD, they would come into the temple some mornings and they would just find the doors open.

That had never happened before.

These are big, heavy doors of like, you gotta think about the temple back in this day.

It's like a palace, right?

With huge, heavy doors, and they would have to send the Levites in to crank these doors open to begin the worship day after day.

But all of a sudden, after Jesus died, some days they would just go in there and the doors would have opened on their own, like keep the doors open.

I'm not hiding behind closed doors, I'm not hiding behind curtains.

I am out, I am available, I am come on, let's open some doors for the king of glory.

I'm just getting excited thinking about entering God's presence, but there's so much more that worship does.

There's so much more that worship does.

I referred to this two weeks ago as the side effects of worship.

You know, the good side effects.

Wouldn't you love to take medicine that had a bunch of positive side effects?

It's like not only is this pill gonna take away your disease, but it's also gonna give you more energy and you're gonna have bounce in your step and you're gonna lose weight.

Why are those never the side effects of those pills, right?

It's like, oh, this pill's gonna help with your headache, but it's gonna destroy your guts, and you're gonna this, that, and the other thing.

Right?

Well, I want you to just think about some of the possibilities of worship, the things that are happening as we worship together.

And why are these possibilities a reality?

Because God shows up in worship.

Come on.

And I know some people struggle when you say stuff like that.

Well, God doesn't need to show up, God's already there, he's everywhere.

Yes, he is everywhere.

There's no escaping his presence.

But that doesn't mean we're experiencing his presence everywhere.

It's about opening up our hearts, opening up this place, opening up our community.

Because just like we said, we we started to talk about the blessing of the Lord right from the beginning, from the beginning of time, God's purpose is to have a blessed people who carry his dominion forward.

It's never been, sit back and watch me do it as a passive audience.

It's always been, I want you to have dominion under my authority and rule.

Worship is part of how we're partnering with that dominion, with that rule, how we're taking ground for the kingdom of God.

I'm just gonna read some of these passages quickly because I could spend from now until Christmas teaching all of this.

Second Kings chapter 3, verse 15.

2 Kings 3:15

We see that music, worship is connected to the prophetic release.

And I'm not, I don't consider myself, you know, a prophet, or, you know, I've been around a few, and God does speak prophetically.

We do believe that.

But isn't it interesting that we have this amazing man of God, Elisha?

I mean, few people have the sorts of credentials that Elisha has.

Here you have an Old Testament prophet who raises dead people.

But he is approached by the king of Israel, the king of Judah.

They're in a moment of national crisis, the enemies are coming, it looks grim, and Elisha doesn't, you know, just stand up and be like, okay, just give me a moment.

Ian, okay, I got the word of the Lord.

He says, Bring a musician.

Isn't that interesting?

He says in chapter, 2 Kings 3, verse 15, but now bring me a musician that when, and when the musician played, the hand of the Lord came upon him.

2 Kings 3:15

I've never seen this, never understood this.

And as a young, zealous, kind of weird guy.

Okay.

When I first went down to Guatemala, okay, I was 18 years old.

I just am loving God.

I don't know what to do.

You know, I the one of the first activities that Faye Viva did there is they were having a um a clinic.

Like they brought in a doctor and they were giving people free clothes, they could have a free doctor consultation, we had a pharmacy set up, they could get free medicine, and we had a prayer clinic set up, we were praying for these people.

Wonderful event.

How many of you know me as an 18-year-old guy, a couple days in Guatemala, can't speak Spanish, I'm pretty much useless.

Sometimes it's good to find yourself in those places where you're useless because it forces you to say, now what can I give?

God, what can you do in me in this place where I am completely out of my element?

I found myself in that place many times.

Like the first time I ever preached, I was not a preacher the first time I preached.

Uh, the first time I was asked to work with children, that was not my forte.

Let's just say that.

You know, but it forces you to say, okay, God, I'm in this place.

How can I be a blessing?

How can you use me?

Well, the only thing that occurred to me, and I don't even know what Kim or the other leaders there thought or didn't think, I had a bag full of bamboo flutes.

Some of you know I play woodwind instruments.

And so there was a lineup of people waiting to come into this clinic, and you know, lots and lots of sick kids.

And I just grabbed this flute, and I was just the little pie piper going down the line, playing flutes.

I was switching them out, doing, and it's I was looking back at old slide film.

I actually have some pictures of this, and and it's just, but then some friends from Kingston, from Pastor Francis Armstrong Church, they came over to me and they're like, Do you ever prophesy through the flute?

And I looked at him like, what on earth?

I didn't say this out loud, right?

Because I didn't, I I wanted to look like I understood what was going on.

I just kind of had that wise like noted, right?

I'll look into this later.

How many of you know that even Proverbs says that when a fool keeps his mouth shut, he looks wise?

That's a good one to commit to memory, by the way.

But I'm doing that, I'm like, what on earth are they talking about?

How many of you know that music and the prophetic are connected together?

It's right here in this story that we're looking at, and we don't have time to get into the whole story.

But I could take you again to 1 Samuel chapter 10, where Saul had just been anointed king of Israel, and what happens there?

1 Samuel 10 · chapter mention

He gets into a group of people that are coming down from this place of worship, and I wish I had a better idea what was going on there, but I have to wonder if that place of worship wasn't also a place of spiritual warfare, because I was reading it a little more closely than I'd ever looked at it before, and it said that there was a place, a high place of worship, and this group of prophets were coming down, but when it refers to what they were close to, it says the Philistine garrison was there.

And in my mind, I'm like, how does this make sense?

You have a place where Jewish people, the people of God, Israelites, are going to worship and seek God near the very stronghold of the enemy.

Oh, you're gonna have to go and read it to believe what I'm saying here.

I just have a few verses from 1 Samuel chapter 10, verses 5 and 6.

1 Samuel 10:5

After that, you will come to Gebah Elohim, where there is a garrison of the Philistines.

And there, as you come to the city, you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place with harp, tambourine, flute.

Hey, there I am.

Lyre before them prophesy.

And the Spirit of the Lord will rush upon you, and you will prophesy with them and will be turned into another man.

Do you see how beautiful this is?

What God is able to do through worship.

He is able to change us into something we weren't before.

And sometimes we need to get into a group of people who have already gone before us, who are already seeking the Lord, who are maybe more mature, who maybe understand the Spirit more than we do.

But say I want to draw close.

I want to, I want to gain some of this insight.

I want to experience what you're experiencing.

You might be like, ah, Pastor Adam, you know, worship for me is it's kind of what you were saying before.

I I sing some nice songs, I feel, you know, maybe some goosebumps and I go home.

I'm trying to raise your faith that there's so much more available in God when we gather to worship.

God can bring transformation to your life, to your family, to your children.

Come on, maybe some of us need to be the prophets going before with the instruments, with the praise, with the worship, and our kids will be the ones that kind of show up and they're like, Oh, one day there's a switch that comes on, one day there's a door that gets unlocked, something clicks, and they're experiencing the presence of God, they're hearing the voice of God.

Verse 10 and when they came to Gebah, behold, a man, a group of prophets met him, and the Spirit of God rushed upon him.

He prophesied among them.

And when all who knew him previously saw how he prophesied with the prophets, the people said to one another, What has come over the son of Kish?

Is Saul also among the prophets?

I don't know.

I'm believing God for more supernatural activity in our worship, in our praise.

And you know, be bold.

If you feel that God is moving, I know we can't give the mic to everybody, and as leaders, we have to judge and discern, okay, is this where the service is going?

And we have to lead this, but you know, church should not just be one or two people who have all of the answers, have all of the spiritual activity going on.

There should be a movement of the spirit in worship where people are coming up and saying, Pastor, I feel this, I see this, the God is speaking.

We don't have time for all of this today.

Of course.

I hear that chuckle, Dr.

Pierce.

Uh, a man who spent many years in the Bible college as I have.

More him than me, of course.

But just look at this, because this is all we really have time for today, because we have fellowship.

You're still like music, prophecy, what are you even talking about?

1 Chronicles chapter 25, and the first few verses make this so clear.

1 Chronicles 25 · chapter mention

It says, This is David making preparations even before the temple is built.

He knows he's gonna die, he knows that he is not gonna be around to see the temple built.

God has told him, You're not the man to do it, your son is.

But he's doing everything he can to make preparations.

And so in chapter 25, verses 1 to 3, it says, David and the chiefs of the service also set apart for the service the sons of Asaph, which you might have run into that name in the titles and the Psalms, right?

And of Eman.

That's a good name, eh?

And Jeduthan, who prophesied with liars with harps and with cymbals.

Can I even just say this to our worship team?

You are not just playing an instrument.

And don't get me wrong, maybe it starts there.

As, you know, I've learned this instrument, I've practiced my chords, I've learned some melodies, you know, I follow some rhythms, but we are going for a place in worship that is available for us in the spirit, that your song is connected so closely to the sound, the rhythm of heaven, to the activities of heaven, that the very sounds you make through those strings, like drums, that's like the most foreign thing for me.

I'm not a percussion guy at all, but it says here you can prophesy on symbols.

Like, what does that even look like?

This is why prophets get a bad rap.

It can get look a little weird, right?

It's like, okay, um, and back to the regular scheduled program.

It's like, I have come to prophesy today.

But you see how much more is available to us than we usually think about.

Who prophesy with lyars, harps, and with cymbals.

And the list of those who did the work and their duties was, and it goes through all the names, right?

And down towards the end of verse 2, who prophesied under the direction almost fell off, under the direction, under the direction of the king.

Now, isn't that interesting as well?

How many of you know that the Bible also says that the spirit of the prophets is subject to the prophets?

And it says here that they're prophesying, in other words, there's a pursuit and a connection in the spirit.

I'm really tempted to just do some stuff just to get more keep you engaged, but but it's okay when the spirit's moving for somebody to direct this thing.

Did you catch that in what we just read?

The sons of Asaph under the direction of Asaph who prophesied under the direction of the king.

So we should all be seeking to make a sound to connect with the Lord in worship in a way that's releasing the authority of heaven, your kingdom come, your will be done.

If I'm clapping my hands, walls are falling down.

If I'm raising a shout, the enemies are fleeing.

If I'm jumping up and down, I'm trampling down the works of the enemy.

If I'm running to the front, it's because the armies of the Lord are advancing in Canada.

Sometimes you need to act out the things that you feel you perceive in the spirits, and that happens through these things we're talking about.

But ultimately, somebody like the king or somebody like a pastor or somebody like a worship leader is gonna have to direct it, and that's okay too.

I love this, and I want to keep going.

And I don't know if we have a signal from the kitchen over there, but I also don't want to let the food get cold today.

So unspiritual of me, eh?

It's like prophecy and releasing the kingdom of heaven.

It is the soup warm.

Why don't we stand to our feet today?

Ah, and bless the name of the Lord together.

And when we gather Sunday after Sunday, Thursday after Thursday in this place, let's be in a place where we say, God, if you can prophesy through stringed instruments and through symbols, then I know that you can speak to my heart and I can release prophetic, authoritative utterances of the kingdom of God, because I am entering into the very throne room of God as I give thanks, as I give praise, as I seek the glory of the one true King and I open every door.

Let's just declare that today, Lord.

We open the doors to your presence.

We give you praise, we give you thanks, we come in with joy, with gladness, Lord God, be enthroned in this place, in my heart, in our nation, Lord, speak forth the decrees of heaven, even as we worship, even as we praise, Lord God, make us a prophetic people.

Oh, Jesus.

Come on, Lord, we love you, we worship you today, and we thank you, thank you for kingdom realities being unlocked and released.

From this moment, from this day forth, in the mighty name of Jesus.

Lord God, I pray for my brothers and sisters.

Let no inhibitions, let no fear, let no shame hold them back.

Lord God, but let us come boldly into the throne of grace, boldly into your presence, boldly, Lord God, with a shout of victory unto the Lord.

Let's give them a shout today, Jesus.

Amen.