Thursday, Dec. 28 am
Alex
GeePrayer
This morning Alex Gee encouraged us to get messy before God. "Worship is really messy," he said. "It's meant to be messy. As we press closer and closer to God's presence, we're going to experience messiness."
He began by using the example of the physical sacrifice that God demanded of his people in Old Testament times. He noted that animal sacrifice is a bloody, messy business, not something for which we want to wear our "Sunday best." God demands a different sort of sacrifice from us as we worship. As we come before the Lord, all our inner messiness rises to the surface. Like Isaiah, when we see the Lord, we respond, "Woe is me!" (Alex says that means, "Oh boy!") "I am lost." (Isaiah 6:5). Alex compared this to refiner's fire and encouraged us to be prepared for it, to be authentic before God and to allow him to work in us in this way. In the midst of fire, gold is refined, and all the impurities rise to the surface to be skimmed away. "Press through," said Alex. "Come into his presence. Let him skim the stuff off… Get messy before God."
"Worship is not where you hide from God; worship is where you get naked before God." Alex compelled us to bring all our impurities openly before God. When our sin becomes apparent, we are often tempted to respond by making excuses to God. We say "But I am an adulterer… but I am a pornographer…" In true worship there is no room for excuses, no room for "buts." Our sin need not impede us from worshiping our Maker. God already knows us, and he knows all our struggles. "Before you were even born, he knew all about you, but yet he chooses to live inside you." God calls us to bring all our "buts" before him.
As the worship team led us in a chorus, scattered throughout the assembly there were hands raised, hands clasped in prayer, heads bowed, eyes closed, eyes with tears. Alex stood on the platform with up-stretched arms and led the worshipers in prayer.
After the chorus ended, Alex began to pray that the Lord would release his people, break strongholds and give us strength to stand and honor God in the midst of our brokenness. "Help us to focus on you and not our own brokenness." Then the worship team led us in another song, encouraging us to focus all our attention on Jesus. Alex continued to lead us in fervent prayer. "Is Jesus bigger than you?" he asked. "Let him be the center now… Don't resist it. Allow the Spirit to work inside you."
We brought our "buts" before the altar.
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