Don't Worship the Worship

The Psalmist David realized that God’s unfailing love for him was the key that unlocks the door for sinners to enter and worship in God’s house. Psalm 5:7 doesn’t say, “Because of the intercession of the priests,” or “Because of the blood of bulls and goats,” or “Because of my good works and how much I love You, God, I can enter Your house.” It says:

Because of Your unfailing love I can enter Your house;
I will worship at Your temple with deepest awe.

Although David worshiped the Lord under the rules of the old covenant, he understood that God’s unfailing love for sinners was the means by which he was able to come and worship the Lord. “Because of Your unfailing love I can enter Your house.”

The same is true for us. Our worship is not what leads us “into the throne room.” Worship is our grateful response for having been led to the throne room by God’s unfailing love in giving His Son to die for our sins. It’s true for worship leaders, it’s true for pastors, it’s true for everyone in the assembly.

And what was David’s response to God’s love? Worship. Deepest Awe. He was floored by the unfailing love of God and compelled to worship God with deepest awe  He wasn’t awed by the work of the priests or the blood of the animal sacrifices or by his own good works and love for God. David was awestruck by his merciful, loving God who had made a way for him, a sinful man, to come and worship in God’s house. Why wouldn’t he be? And why would we feel this way, even more so today? STOP. Clear your mind. Now, consider these short passages, as if reading them for the first time:

“Even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ. This is what He wanted to do, and it gave Him great pleasure.” (Eph. 1:4-5)

“But God is so rich in mercy, and He loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, He gave us life when He raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)” (Eph. 2:4-5)

“God showed how much He loved us by sending His one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through Him. This is real love — not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.” (I John 4:9-10)

Mind blowing.