REPENTANT WORSHIP
(Case Studies)
I’m gonna cut right to the chase. It appears to me that brokenness and contrition are in danger of becoming obsolete practices within the fellowship of the saints. The contemporary church seems to have lost much of its understanding of what it means to repent of sin, turn away from unrighteousness, and pursue an upright relationship with the Lord in holy reverence. There, I’ve said it.
“The fear of (reverence for) the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Pro.1:7)
I have no intension of trying to build a case for my reasoning that will convince you that my observation is correct. There’s really little point in such an endeavor. A better course of action (kingdom wise) would be to let God’s Word do the convincing - and convicting.
What follows are three brief case studies from Scriptural accounts of what repentance looks like. They serve as an outline for a teaching series of mine focused on repentant worship . Perhaps they will give you some incentive for your own self-study. That way you may be better able to see what the Holy Ghost reveals to you in regards to living a lifestyle of repentance (see Rom.12:1 / The Message Bible).
I’ll begin with a couple of “working definition”.
Repentence: To be sorry / To turn back or away from / To return to the starting point / To retreat or backtrack. To think differently / To change or transform / To refashion (metamorphose).
Contrition: To collapse (physically or mentally). From words meaning to crush, crumble or break (into pieces).
Case Study #1: Psalm 51
David: Personal moral failures resulted in David’s acts of repentant worship.
Confrontation (being uncovered)
Confession (verbal acknowledgement of sin)
Conversion (actions that back up the words of confession)
v.1 David’s plea for grace and forgiveness is based on God’s nature
(i.e. His lovingkindness & compassion)
v.2 David is specific regarding his failures acknowledging three areas of accountability:
Transgressions (violation of moral or ethical law)
Iniquity (habitual sin patterns – often with a generational base)
Sin (missing the mark or falling short of God’s righteous standards)
v.3 David “owns” his stuff (he blames no one but himself)
v.4 David sees all the violations as being first and foremost between himself and God. With that being the case, he throws himself on God’s merciful justice.
vs.5-9 He begins with a verbal confession
vs.10-12 His confession flows freely & deeply (open & honest)
vs.13-14 He speaks forth the end desire of his pleading before the Father (righteous restoration)
vs.15-17 He shows that he has a deep understanding and intimate knowledge of who God is and what He can do (faith in action)
Vs.18-19 David sees a clear connection between how he walks with God and its effect on the fellowship of the saints as well. He has a corporate heart concerned with favor & restoration for himself and others.
Corporate Heart: David considers how his own sin can/is having a direct effect on his personal witness (testimony) and also on the lives of those he could/should be able to minister to. Such a perspective as this is becoming rare indeed within the body of Christ.
The key to unlocking restoration and renewal in David’s life is his offering of confession. This is a model of how a personal witness and ministry can be purified through acts of repentant worship.
"LAMENT"
A broken and a contrite heart
O God, You will not despise
Against You only I have sinned
I have fallen once again
I come to You in emptiness
Fill me with Your holiness
Create in me a heart that's clean
Draw me to Your side and then
Restore me with Your steadfast love
Have mercy on my wickedness
O God, I seek Your graciousness
Wash away iniquity
Remove transgression far from me
I come to You in brokenness
Fill with with Your righteousness
(W.Berry / See & Say Songs, BMI)
Case Study #2: Daniel 9
Daniel: Identificational repentance positioned Daniel “in the gap” for the nation of Israel and himself (Ezek.22:30). His worshipful prayers became a force “on earth as is in heaven” to set the stage for breakthrough and deliverance.
{Every act of worship is an act of warfare}
vs.1&2 Show Daniel to be a man of study and meditation (a theologian)
v.3 He pays a price to connect with his burden
a. Prayer (mystical connection)
b. Supplication (verbal utterance)
c. Fasting (physical expenditure)
d. Sackcloth & Ashes (outward signs of inward brokenness)
vs.4-19 Daniel takes up his repentant worship for all Israel and pours himself unreservedly into it. He reminds the Lord of His “compassion and forgiveness" (v.9) and states that the Lord should hear & respond “for Thine own sake” (v.19). He’s more concerned about God’s name and reputation than he is his own or that of the people.
vs.20-23 Show that the moment Daniel stepped over into such repentant worship was when God began releasing His captive people (v.23).
This is a model of how someones acts of repentant worship can serve as a means for others to be released and restored to freedom.
Case Study #3: Jonah 1&2
Jonah: Disobedience to God’s call and direction give us the context for how and why repentant worship took place in Jonah’s life.
vs.1&2 God’s word comes to Jonah with direction for him to carry out, “arise and go to Nineveh”. Jehovah wants to release a call for repentance and restoration to the residents of a city who’s “wickedness has come up” before the Lord (NASB). And, he wants the call for repentance to come forth from a servant entrusted to carry the will of God’s word forth to the people. Jonah has the opportunity (and good fortune) to be chosen of the Lord for this task.
v.3 Jonahs response is to disregard his calling and try to run away from it. By doing so he has placed himself in the position of moving out of God’s will which will in turn bring him to a point where his own wickedness rises up before the Lord. The effect of that will mean that Jonah will find himself in need of repentance as a result of his own spiritual insubordination.
v.4 The storm that the Lord releases is Jonahs “wake up call” meant to (re)awaken him to the reality of what it means to disobey the voice of the Spirit. Note that the storm is not a punishment --- it is an attention getter. This insight can serve as a good perspective for how to look at tough or awkward circumstances in our own lives if/when they come. Trying to rebuke the devil is not aways the best choice to make. Sometimes the “storm” that’s hitting us is in fact God’s way of getting our attention. Selah…
vs.5-16 You can read the story for yourself. Most of us probably know it well. It sets the stage for Jonah to come to terms with his need for personal repentant worship.
v.17 Note that the “great fish” is not God’s wrathful vengeance on Jonah for his failure to obey God’s direction. It is in fact God’s means of providing deliverance from drowning. Yes, really.
Chapter 2 provides us with a vivid picture of what it means to be broken and contrite before the Lord in confession and repentance.
From within the belly of the fish Jonah begins to worship in a way most profound. He understands very well that he has been delivered from drowning by being swallowed up. What “could” be viewed as going from bad to worse (from being thrown overboard to being swallowed) isn’t how Jonah responds to the situation at all. Rather, he begins to see his current circumstances (in the fishes belly) as a place of sanctuary. It becomes a “holy place” of worship.
Vs.2-6 Jonah prays a most beautiful pray of thanksgiving seemingly trapped within a place with no way out. Even though his predicament could seem hopeless, he nonetheless sees his surroundings as being provision from the Lord as a means of escape from the sea which would have surely taken his life. He purposes to pursue the Presence. The last line of verse 6 clearly shows us that something major has happened to Jonah. He has experienced a “Divine Encounter”! The text says, “but Thou hast brought up my life from the pit (the sea), O Lord my God (NASB).” How powerful!
v.7-9 Gives us the specific text of Jonahs prayers of worship and repentance. His faith and trust has risen up before the Lord “into Thy holy temple” (v.7). He offers his thanksgiving and renews his vow (of obedience) to His Sovereign. Then He acknowledges that his salvation (deliverance) has come from Jehovah.
Note that his prayer is released from within the place of his apparent captivity (the fishes belly). His seeming entrapment has been converted into a sanctuary and his praises unto the Lord arises BEFORE HIS DELIVERANCE (see Isa.54:1 / Rom.8:28 / Phil.4:4-8).
This is a model of how God's plan and purpose can be fulfilled through someones acts of repentant worship for moving in disobedience to a call upon their life.
To refocus, please refer to the “working definitions” for repentance and for contrition.
It’s clear to see that Jonahs story provides us with a testimony of how both those precepts have done their work in a deep and profound way. But, that’s not the end of this story. There are two more chapters to consider.
I’d be doing an injustice to the Word by leaving the rest of the drama out. A comprehensive examination of Jonahs comings and goings requires that the ending be at least mentioned. Please read chapters 3&4.
Jonah did in fact repent and he went on to be the agent of change that God had appointed him to be. By doing so, the entire population of Nineveh received salvation through Jehovahs righteousness acts of lovingkindness (Jonah 3:6-10). However, a turn of events took place thereafter which makes the point of the story even more important to our own lives and times.
After such a glorious and dynamic set of events had taken place (revival) Jonah begins to “flesh out” by becoming quite the malcontent. His grumbling and complaining before the Lord are truly a sad testimony to how our own walk in the spirit can often become misguided. By becoming so carnal and self-centered after the outpouring of the Holy Ghost over the entire city Jonah exhibits traits of human fallenness which we all still struggle with to this day.
We are called as servants unto our Lord, Christ Jesus. It is our duty (our responsibility) to listen to and obey the Spirits leading in all matters.
In order to maintain the vitality & power of the Presence in our lives God has established the process of restoration for us in our fallen-temporal-condition. This “process” is laid out clearly for us in 1 John 1:6-10 in order to teach us that conviction leads us to confession, and then on to repentance in order that we may be restored, renewed, and re-established in our witness and ministry.
Selah (pause & consider)
Copyright Secured: See & Say (Songs & Such), BMI
