Phil Pringle shared a word to remind the Church that true worship is the pathway that leads believers into the presence of God.
CN PHOTOS: Henzy David.
“God is in the midst of the church. She shall not be moved,” declared Phil Pringle, City Harvest Church’s advisory pastor. The thousands of churchgoers who turned up in church in the midst an ongoing court case involving its church leaders, bore testament to that statement.
Pringle is also the founder and president of C3 Global Network of churches, a thriving movement of more than 200 churches worldwide and the senior pastor of C3 Church in Sydney, Australia. Last weekend (Aug. 31 and Sep. 1), he brought the Church a timely message about being true worshipers of God.
Drawing from the Scriptures John 4:23-24 and Psalm 95:6, Pringle began by telling the Church, “God is not just looking for thanksgiving, He is also looking for worship.” Thanksgiving lets believers enter the gates of heaven, but to experience the fullness of God’s presence, believers have to enter into deep worship.
He preached that true worship comes when one glorifies God even under difficult circumstances. “It must cost you something when you lift up your heart in worship,” he stated.
He explained that the human spirit has the DNA of worship. Man came from God and worship is the homing device that reconnects Man to the place from where he came. Humans are hardwired to worship.
“The devil hates worship; don’t let him steal your song,” Pringle said, reminding the congregation that it is through worship that one enters the presence of God because He lives in the atmosphere of worship. Referring to the many worshipers throughout Bible, the advisory pastor encouraged the church to give as much attention to worship as they do to anything and to never stop worshiping God.
Noah worshiped God after the flood and God promised gave him a new covenant and the rainbow to remind him of the covenant.
“No matter how bad the storm, the boat will always go above the high waters,” Pringle said. “You’ll come to a point when God will say, ‘Never again.'”
From the congregation’s applause, it was clear that this was a promise each member held in his heart.
David became King because he is a worshiper. Saul was not a worshiper, and even though David was twice as naughty as Saul, God loved him.
Going on to the New Testament, he further justified that in each book, every time the people worshiped, God was invited into that particular place. Pringle told the congregation, “Unhook your tongue from your head and hook it to your heart and start to worship.” He then reminded the Church that in each service, the word must be as good as worship, because worship is an intrinsic part of one’s soul. He supported this by referencing Matthew 4:10, “The first commandment is to love God; and the expression this love is worship.”
Pringle then proceeded to share with the congregation the main elements of true worship:
1) True worship is never inexpensive
Reading from Mark 14:3-4, Pringle explained that unless our worship attracts criticism or accusations of wastefulness, it is not true worship. He brought up the woman Bible who broke the alabaster flask to anoint Jesus. we have to be broken, that is the only way for true worship. It is the sacrifice of praise.”
2) True worshipers will worship God in the midst of trials
Drawing from Malachi 3:3, Pringle added that God honors those who bring a sacrifice with their worship and He will refine them like gold and silver. He supports his point with the book of Job where Job still worshiped God even after losing virtually everything in his life.
“Worship in the time of pain is the highest form of worship,” said Pringle.
3) True worshipers bring Christ to the center
God loves His Son and wants all His believers to be like Christ in their character. Pringle reminded the Church that it is important to fill their minds with the right thoughts in order to move to the right direction–which is towards Christ.
Reading from Revelations 1:13, Pringle said, “Jesus attends the worship service, while He’s the subject, but He says He’ll be in the midst of the congregation, worshiping with them.”
4) True worshipers are filled with the Holy Spirit
“Worship is filling your temple with the Holy Spirit,” Pringle told the congregation. Using an analogy of a plane landing, he mentions that the tires of the plane are filled with air to absorb the pressure of the plane landing so the plane wouldn’t crash. Likewise, God is the shock absorber, the encourager and strengthener of the heart when one is under pressure. Hence, to fill one’s heart with the Holy Spirit is paramount when one is under massive pressure.
Pringle urged the Church to keep on perusing God with a story of the three old hags—a fable that illustrated how a believer is renewed to pursue Christ with all his heart, mind and strength. The story ended with a poem that touched the hearts of many.
“I have love You in life, I will loved You in death. I’ll praise You as long as you lendeth me breath. And lo, when death dew lies cold on my brows, if ever I loved You, Jesus ‘tis now.”
The service ended Pringle giving an altar call, with many going forward to receive Christ as their Savior.
