Get Rid of All These Before Coming to God
In his book, How to Worship a King, Zach Neese wrote that he regularly teaches a class called ‘Worship Matters’.
He would prepare a 7-foot table and cover it with all kinds of things: a TV, clothes, food, a tennis racket, a cell phone, etc.
When the participant least expect it, he would flip the table as hard as he can. Everything would fly in every direction.
He would then say:
“This is worship. Worship flips the table of compromise in my heart. Worship invites Jesus to come into the temple, my life, and examines the table of my heart. If He finds anything there that steals from our relationship, He reminds me that worship says, ‘I love You, God, more than these trinkets.’ And it flips the tables”
After that, he would run his fingers over the smooth, clean surface of the table and say:
This is holiness. Holiness is when I present the tables of my heart to God and say, ‘Lord, this heart is Yours. You purchased it at a high price. It is Yours to use as You wish. You may place on it anything you wish. And You may remove form it anything you wish.’ That is Holiness.”
We cannot say to God, “Lord, I want to keep my unbelieving boyfriend, my overeating, my social media habits, and my anger. You cannot touch that. But, You can be the Lord of everything else.”
It doesn’t work that way. A God that doesn’t deserve our all is not worthy.
Hudson Taylor said:
Christ is either Lord of all, or is not Lord at all.
The big idea: We must come to God like that empty table that has been flipped. No baggage, no conditions, and no expectations remain on it. It’s just an empty table ready for Him to put anything He wishes on it.
I welcome your comments and questions :)
