John 4:19-26, Revelation 4:1-11

Dictionary describes passion as having strong emotions. For me passionate worship is worship that has emotions—sometimes strong ones. But more than that is authentic and uninhibited. Passionate worship is an active thing—something is being exchanged between God and us in worship.

• God is present. That’s what separates us from civic organizations…God shows up!

• We are present to God. It begins with expectation and planning on our part—ends with our responding to the presence of the living God….

Passionate worship is one of our “key drivers” as United Methodists in the Texas Annual Conference, but passion itself is not our goal. If we make passion or goal in worship, then we risk missing God altogether.

• If there is not a big enough display of emotion, we might think God didn’t show up. I recall a night at the Happy Valley Pentecostal church when there wasn’t enough shouting during the sermon….

• If there is too big of a display of emotion we might think that God is here when He is not. Consider the priests of Baal who danced and shouted and cut themselves and yet their god was not there at all (1Kings 18:26ff)….

Passionate worship is interplay of authentic presence between God and the people of God. God is present to us, and we are present to God. What does that look like for us in our congregation? What are the “passions” in our worship?

• There is praise to God – Love, thanksgiving, unity, respect/awe, joy/excitement

• Sympathy for others and sharing with each other our own burdens (honesty).

• There is giving of ourselves – generosity, self denial, thanksgiving….

• There is an opening of our hearts to the presence of God and God’s Word (seeking/hearing God)

• There is a response to God—(surrender)…. I believe that the ultimate “passion” in passionate worship is in yielding ourselves to God….

In The Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren says that worship is one of the purposes of life—God made us for worshiping God….

• Looking at Revelation chapter 4, I see four great beasts that encircle the throne of God. The have the appearance of man, eagle, ox, and lion. Eyes cover their entire beings. Each has six wings. They shout over the din of thunder and lightning, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come.”

• I can try to understand the meaning of the descriptions (four types of creatures, eyes all over, six wings, etc.). I can read commentaries from Bible scholars, etc. But, one thing I can get out of this for sure—God can create creatures to worship Himself. And they are much more spectacular than you or I.

• I do believe that God made us for worship, but the reason is deeper than simply that God is worthy of worship. The reason God made us for worship is because in authentic passionate worship we surrender ourselves to the living God.

In passionate worship we yield our hearts to God.

• Without surrender we are more like people gathered at a football game cheering for the home team.

• The affirmation becomes the alma mater. The doxology becomes a cheer. The “Amen” becomes like Miss Renau shouting from the top of the stands, “Go God! Go God! Go God!”

• It could get really exciting, and we shout all together, “Yaaay God! You are large and in charge!”

But in true passionate worship, God wants sincerity, not show. God says “Rend your hearts, not your clothes.” What response is God calling you to make…?