The Goal is Whole: Hope Unshakeable H5: Burst Open Heart of Worship

A burst open spirit, a burst open heart! This is the goal of the new creation. Not just a new nature deep within us, but a new nature that springs up and flows out, to flood our soul, energize our body, and erupt out of our mouth to God and to impact the world.

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FULL STUDY:

“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, 25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen” (Jude 24-25)

We have spent several days looking at the eternal security we have in Christ, how we are secure as part of His big eternal picture in His bride, how He has made a secure plan to keep us through end time events and rescue us from the wrath that will be outpoured, and how we will escape all the judgments of God having passed from death to life to receive eternal rewards for working out all that He does within us. Isn’t this new creation amazing?

If you agree, you can probably feel a fountain of gratitude springing up from within you right now. That flow from within is the essence of worship in its simplest form. As we recognize this, and build upon it intentionally, so our lives become characterized by worship, which becomes an unquenchable energy towards glorifying constantly the one who has done it all!

As we marvel at the magnificence of all that we have in Christ, we feel at one with the multitudes of the redeemed and the angels assembled in heaven, where expressive worship is their continual focus. The climax of this is when every tribe and people group is represented immediately prior to the revealing of Jesus at His return:

“After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; 10 and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” 11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying, “Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen.” (Revelation 7:9-12).

Worship is a central element of our eternal destiny in the new creation. But this is not just about heaven. Jesus had the focus of "bringing heaven to earth" and said the Father is seeking worshipers here now:

“But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:23-24)

The Father is seeking worshipers! How awesome is that? Let us give Him what He desires!

What is meant by “in spirit and truth?” Most likely, this is a manifestation of new creation life. It springs up from the realization of what we have received in Christ, emerging from the inner spirit man that has been reunited with God. One of the easiest ways to engage this, is through singing songs of worship and praise. Paul links this directly to being filled with the Spirit, which is only possible in the new creation:

“And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord.” (Ephesians 5:18-19)

Worship, through song and melody is a heart issue (the heart for us in the new creation is our newly created spirit). Worship is both a means to becoming filled with the Spirit, and a manifestation of having been filled with Him.

“Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” 39 But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” (John 7:37-39)

“but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” (John 4:14)

The innermost being is the new creation spirit within us. From this, the flow of His Spirit becomes a flood of worship, in spirit and truth, like rivers of living water. This is glorious, and can unlock wonderful manifestations of God’s presence, in us and through us. How do we get this working?

David foresaw this is Psalm 51:

 “O Lord, open my lips, that my mouth may declare Your praise. 16 For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.” (Psalm 51:15-17)

It begins with praise, but then takes an unexpected twist: “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit”. At first read, that sounds quite negative. Broken. Who wants something broken? Isn’t God a builder of life? But there is another translation on that word, that unlocks this. Broken is better translated as “BURST OPEN”.

A burst open spirit, a burst open heart! This is the goal of the new creation. Not just a new nature deep within us, but a new nature that springs up and flows out, to flood our soul, energize our body, and erupt out of our mouth to God, and to impact the world. This is the well that springs up within, the river that flows out from the innermost being, just like Jesus said. The key is to live with a “burst open” spirit, to let that happen. How do we get that? How do we maintain it? By engaging in passionate, expressive worship that is heartfelt, with fervency of spirit. This is life-changing! This gives voice to the gratitude we feel for all that Jesus has done for us, but also becomes a manifestation of all He is IN US, and a means to being filled to overflowing with Him! This is eternal destiny of the highest order.

Mary of Bethany presents us with a wonderful illustration of this, which He said should be shared wherever the gospel is preached.

“While He was in Bethany at the home of Simon the leper, and reclining at the table, there came a woman with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume of pure nard; and she broke the vial and poured it over His head. 4 But some were indignantly remarking to one another, “Why has this perfume been wasted? 5 For this perfume might have been sold for over three hundred denarii, and the money given to the poor.” And they were scolding her. 6 But Jesus said, “Let her alone; why do you bother her? She has done a good deed to Me. 7 For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you wish you can do good to them; but you do not always have Me. 8 She has done what she could; she has anointed My body beforehand for the burial. 9 Truly I say to you, wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her.” (Mark 14:3-9).

It is good to help the poor, but it is also highly valued by Jesus for us to spend ourselves on Him, releasing passionate expressions of love and devotion. The woman caused the vial to be “burst open” to let the costly perfume out. Heart-felt worship can sometimes be undignified. It can cost us something. It can also get others a little ruffled, just as in happened with Mary. Sometimes extravagance offends. But Jesus does not despise it. This is most likely an important aspect of the spirit and truth worship the Father is looking for.

Many who enter the new creation go through life all locked up inside. They have the life of Christ, but it hardly gets out. Let us not be like that! Let us be those who bring a burst open spirit to Him. It’s the kind of attitude that got King David to dance before the Lord in public in his underwear:

“And David was dancing before the Lord with all his might, and David was wearing a linen ephod. 15 So David and all the house of Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouting and the sound of the trumpet. 16 Then it happened as the ark of the Lord came into the city of David that Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart.” (2 Samuel 6:14-16)

David understood the power of the burst open heart, even before the new creation! For him this was just the beginning, even though Michal his wife did not approve:

“But when David returned to bless his household, Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David and said, “How the king of Israel distinguished himself today! He uncovered himself today in the eyes of his servants’ maids as one of the foolish ones shamelessly uncovers himself!” 21 So David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me above your father and above all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the Lord, over Israel; therefore I will celebrate before the Lord. 22 I will be more lightly esteemed than this and will be humble in my own eyes, but with the maids of whom you have spoken, with them I will be distinguished.” 23 Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death.

The burst open heart carries the atmosphere of celebration! Michal’s despising of David’s passion for the Lord led to her barrenness. There is a stark warning for us here. We are immensely blessed by the worship movement erupting all around us in these days. Let us not despise it, as that will kill our fruitfulness. Let us take the lead from David, and live a passionate, worship-life for Jesus! Let us engage with the burst open heart!

As a practical application, you might find it helpful to do something in response to this now – or at some point soon when you can. Perhaps, increase your worship expression level in some way. Often pushing through comfort zones can cause this "bursting open" to happen. Once it does, there will be an unending outflow of spiritual life from the inner man.

Maybe take some steps in this direction next time you are in a worship gathering. Or, find a private room somewhere and put on a few strong praise and worship songs. While quiet reflection has its place, for this response you might find singing loudly, dancing, jumping and shouting will help you to push beyond the norm. As the inner man bursts open, you will literally begin to feel the life of God within start to fill you and break out, energizing wonderful outflows of spirit and truth worship! What a joy to become precisely what the Father is seeking. Eternal destiny unfolding right now!