BIKE RACE

I was at my local coffee shop on a quiet, early, Saturday morning.  A few customers sat around drinking caffeinated beverages.  An older man walked in, set up a laptop computer, put on head phones and instantaneously was glued to his screen.  He was captivated.  Whatever was on, pulled him in immediately.  I had to see what had him mesmerized.  I was able to sneak a peek from where I was seated.  It was a bike race. People on bikes…not that extraordinary.  So, I continued studying. 

A while later the peace of the coffee shop ended when “bike guy” jumped to his feet, started clapping and cheering, “Go! Go! Go! Goooooooooooooo!”  He was shouting at the top of his lungs!  His clapping and cheering turned into jumping and fists pumping in the air, “Go! Go! Go, YESSSS!”  Apparently, the race had ended and “bike guy” was wiping the tears away from his face. The rest of the coffee shop looked on in confusion.

The next day at church, we were in an intense time of worship.  God was moving.  Some had been clapping, others cheering, and shouting at the top of their lungs.  Others were wiping tears from their eyes.  As I sang and played the bass I noticed some visitors, kind of looking around, confused.  I remembered “bike guy.”  His passion made no sense.  Yesterday, us, the caffeine connoisseurs were missing his context.  The visitors that day were missing ours.

So, between songs I felt the need to clarify: “You might wonder why we sing, clap, shout, why some have tears in their eyes.  This all seem strange and confusing when you miss the context.  God has been so good to us.  He’s saved us, changed us, He’s working in our homes bringing healing and blessings.  What you’re seeing this morning is simply our responds to His goodness.”

That’s a large part of what the worship service is all about, us responding to all He’s been doing in our lives (and recognizing Who He is as well).

Jesus was invited to a dinner party at a Pharisee’s house.  A lady with a bad reputation crashed the event.  The Bible tells us:  ³⁸ As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. Luke 7:38 (NIV) 

Her extravagant display caught the dinner host off guard.  So, as always, Jesus turns this opportunity into a teaching moment.  The student that day was his host, Simon the Pharisee:  ⁴¹ “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. ⁴² Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?” ⁴³ Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.” “You have judged correctly,” Jesus said. ⁴⁴ Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. ⁴⁵ You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. ⁴⁶ You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. ⁴⁷ Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.” Luke 7:41-47 (NIV)

There’s a direct connection between the extravagance of your worship and the amount of debt you’ve been forgiven.  There’s a direction connection between your passionate display and the where He’s rescued you from.  So, may the extravagance of your worship make a statement of the greatness and goodness of your God!