Multi-lingual Worship
Luke 10:38-42
This past week, I was reading about a family. It is a family in the Bible… Mary, Martha and Lazarus. You remember they were the family Jesus stayed with whenever he came to Jerusalem.
As I was thinking about that family, I realized they were a great picture of the worship. They each symbolize a different aspect of worship.
For the next few weeks I want to look at each of them and see what they can teach us about worship.
Today, I want to start with Martha. You know… the “bad guy” of the group. For nearly two thousand years, poor Martha has been the villain in the story… the complainer, the whiner, the “unspiritual” one, the worldly one… in contrast to Mary… the spiritual one, the one who loved Jesus, the one who gave of herself.
Well, when I get to heaven, there are a few people I plan to look up.
#1… Jesus. And I plan to spend about the first 1000 years just looking into that precious face and kissing those nail scarred hands.
#2… Mama.
#3… Preacher Rivers.
#4… Gary Barlow.
I plan to look them us because I love them and want to see them.
Then, I need to find one other person… Martha. I want to find her because I owe her an apology. See… I am one of those preachers who are guilty of spoiling her reputation… telling lies about her. I have preached that same thing about her being “unspiritual and worldly.”
This week I saw a different side of Martha.
As I said, each of the siblings represents a different way of worshipping…
Mary represents worship through… GIVING
Lazarus represents worship through WITNESSSING
And Martha represents worship through SERVING
That is right… WORSHIP
For two thousand years now Mary has been the one who was praised for her worship while Martha was seen as distracted, unconcerned about worship, lost in the day-to-day.
But today, I tell you that Martha was WORSHIPPING Jesus that day just as much as Mary… or Lazarus… or the other disciples.
Martha was just speaking a different WORSHIP LANGUAGE.
Many of you are familiar with this book, “The 5 Love Languages” by Gary Smalley. Those who are not… really need to be.
Smalley’s premise in this book is that there are basically five different love languages that people speak… five ways they say “I love you.” Every person speaks a mixture of these languages… but every person speaks primarily ONE.
The five love languages are …
1. Words of Affirmation…words that build up. A person that speaks this language is verbal, they use words… they are comfortable with saying… I appreciate you taking the garbage out, I love you, you are doing a good job with that model and Thanks for the delicious supper.
2. Quality Time.
a. A person who speaks this language NEEDS a lot of quality time with the person they love. It is how they Feel loved.
b. They also like to GIVE this kind of time… it is how they show love.
c. This person complains, ”You don’t spend any time with me.” Or says, “Come home early.” Or “Do you want to sit outside with me and watch the sun go down.”
d. This person wants undivided attention, you to look at them, talk about feelings not events and things.
3. Giving/Receiving Gifts.
a. To this person a gift is a visible symbol of love.
b. They like to RECEIVE gifts because that is how they FEEL LOVED.
c. They like to GIVE gifts because that is how they SHOW LOVE.
4. Physical Touch.
a. This person likes to hold hands, sit next to you touching, cuddle and wrestle, a hand on the shoulder, arm around the neck, hand around the waist.
b. This person only feels loved when they are touched
c. This person conveys love by touch.
5. Acts of Service.
a. This person shows love by doing things for the other person
b. Making coffee, sweeping the kitchen, washing the car, putting gas in the car, doing something for the other person because you know they like it, or because it is hard for them, or because IT IS WHAT YOU DO.
ALL ARE VALID. ALL ARE EQUAL.
NOT ALL SPEAK TO THE OTHER PERSON’S LANGUAGE!
When it comes to worship, I believe there are also different Worship Languages.
Different languages that we say to God, “I love you.” And ways that we lift him up, praise him and give him the attention and love of which He is worthy.
Sure… the most common or recognized Worship Language would be Verbal…singing praises, shouting, praising.
Expressive… holding up hands, “Amen”, upward look
Five Worship Languages might be…
Words of Worship Praise
Giving gifts tithing
Obedience
Words of Witness Testimony
Acts of Service
Martha’s love language for others and her worship language were the same… ACTS OF SERVICE.
In fact, not only was Martha worshipping that day,
In her own language…she was shouting, to Jesus and to the others… “I LOVE YOU.”
Perhaps you are here today and you don’t understand what I am talking about. OK. That just means Acts of Service is not your love language.
You probably do a great job speaking you language… ie gifts.
But here is a very important point.
In your relationship with others… you will speak one primary language. You will be pretty good a couple more. And you will not even try to do a couple because they are foreign and uncomfortable.
And that is OK, you are not expected to be fluent in all five.
You should however learn to speak your families language.
But IN WORHIP… GOD IS FLUENT IN ALL FIVE AND HE WANTS YOU TO SPEAK TO HIM IN ALL FIVE.
And one of the ways God wants you to worship him is SERVICE.
We are all called to learn the love language of our God.
You may say My language is physical… I show up. Or I give. Or I sing in the choir.
But God calls each of us to speak the language of service… and to get better and better at it.
In fact, God even prepared and formed us for service.
I’m not referring to the physical shape of our body… I mean we each have what Rick Warren calls our “Ministry Shape.
He uses an anagram where the letters S-H-A-P-E stand for…
Spiritual gift
Heart
Abilities
Personality
Experiences
1. Spiritual Gifts
God gave each of us spiritual gifts. You may have one, you may have 5.
This we know… EVERY Christian, every redeemed believer HAS AT LEAST ONE.
Not all know what their gift is.
Not all are using their gift.
Not all are using it as much as they can.
God has given you a gift and He expects you to discover what it is… develop it… and USE IT!!!!
Jesus’ parable of the talents teaches us that some have more gifts than others… and they will be held to a higher accountability. Expected to do more because they have more with which to do it.
And one day we will stand before God in judgment. On that day he is going to ask
… WHAT DID YOU DO WITH WHAT I GAVE YOU?
I gave you a workshop filled with great tools… and this is all you made????
2. HEART
This is passion… the things you are passionate about.
There are areas of our life about which we are passionate.
Maybe football, maybe Godiva chocolate, maybe grandkids.
Let me give you an example:
One part of pastoral ministry is nursing home ministry. It is an area I am terrible about. It is depressing. The smells, the sounds, the sights.
I KNOW THOSE PEOPLE NEED AS MUCH LOVE AS ANYONE…. MORE!
But I just really struggle with that.
Does that mean I am released from the responsibility to visit there? NO!!! I still NEED to visit there. Because I love those people and know that they need their pastor.
But it does mean that I am probably not the best person to do that ministry… I don’t have a passion for it. I struggle there.
Josh loves youth. He tried to do children, for the church. He found out that is not where his passion is.
George Hardin, Jr… does a great job with the youth… probably would not be as good at senior adult ministry… or beach evangelism.
God not only gave us gifts… He gave us PASSION.
Find your passion and pour yourself into it.
3. ABILITIES
Soccer is not a spiritual gift. Look all you want … you won’t find it listed in the scriptures.
But Casey Boston has a real ability in soccer. She is naturally good and has a passion for it.
If someone had a soccer camp where they needed a counselor… Casey would be a natural.
Sometimes we wear out Christians, making them feel guilty for not participating in a ministry where they have no abilities… or passion.
God says…
Discover your gift
Discover your passion
Discover your abilities
Then…
4. PERSONALITY
Listen, I appreciate middle school teachers. I thank God for them.
Because I know… if I had to spend my whole day with some of those arrogant, malicious, disrespectful little demons… somebody would have to die!
Either I would die of a stroke… Or I would kill one of them.
I don’t have the personality for dealing with them.
I could not do gay ministry. I stink at benevolence. I’ll just listen to one sob story and give away all of the money.
You have to know your personality.
That will help you know where to serve.
Finally… EXPERIENCES
Crisis experience usually change us
a) Maybe a physical injury has caused you to be a different person
b) Maybe there is an emotional event that you have never been the same since
c) Maybe something in your life happened, good or bad, that you have never been able to get over
Those are your experiences, they will shape you.
What does that means for our church?
It means that God has sent us people with gifts and passions, and abilities, and personalities and experiences that help us to do the ministry to which we are called.
Our experiences have made us who we are
Don’t hide from those experiences.
Don’t think people don’t want to hear them.
God let us experience things so that we might be able to use them later in life.
CLOSING
Each of us speaks a primary worship language…
Praising, singing, giving, witnessing, obeying, praying or SERVICE
God expects us to learn all of the languages… not fluently… but proficiently.
In the area of service…. God has given you a shape. You have worked on that shape.
ARE YOU IN SHAPE?
Are you using your shape to serve others?
Are you using your shape to serve God?
If it is your desire to know God better, to grow in your walk with Him, to be more pleasing to Him…
You must find a way to speak His love language… Service.
Feel free to use without referencing me.
