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Recent
surveys of North American culture have revealed some startling and embarrassing
statistics. More than 30% claim to be regular church attendees and about 95% believe
in God in some form. Yet charitable giving to churches has been dropping and commitment
continues to soften. An even scarier fact is that for the most part the morals
and lifestyles of people who claim to follow Christ show little difference with
those of the world around them.
Something is wrong! Worship continues to become more "popular"
while there is less commitment and fewer workers to send "into the harvest."
The prophet Isaiah had a fabulous worship experience when he
went to the temple to seek God. His close friend king Uzziah had recently died.
In that context, Isaiah got a glimpse of God in His heavenly temple. To say the
least, Isaiah was overwhelmed. But Isaiah didnėt respond like most in the western
world culture. His life changed.
It is not the worship experience of Isaiah that stands out in
this passage, it is the response of Isaiah. He first cries out in anguish at his
unholiness. When that is dealt with, Isaiah responds to God's call. Verse
8 records, "... who will go for Us?" Then I said,
"Here am I. Send me!"
True worship doesn't just make us feel good; it inspires us
to serve. Are you experiencing "true worship" or just making yourself feel better?
In the light of God's holiness, Isaiah saw his own sin and then responded to the
call for service. How is worship changing you?
All Scripture references are from the New American
Standard Version unless otherwise noted.
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~ Response
