The Main Thing

There was a popular song a few years ago by Matt Redman about the importance of true worship. You likely know the song, The Heart of Worship. It is a beautiful song that reflects a spiritual reality found in the expression, ‘The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.’ A key line in the song is “I’m coming back to the heart of worship.” This leads to some obvious questions, ‘Why do we have to come back? Why did we leave?’ The answer of course lies in scripture.

¹ Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. ² For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, ³ how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, ⁴ God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will? Hebrews 2:1–4 (NKJV)

The warning is about ‘drifting away’ not intentionally leaving. There have been stories of people over the years who didn’t survive because they were on some small floating device, stopped paying attention to the shore and drifted out to sea. In recent weeks there was the story of the Australian mother and her three children who went out on paddleboards and an inflatable kayak and the weather become rough and they drifted out to sea, even though they were paying attention. Thankfully they were rescued because the 13 year old boy swam four hours in rough seas to reach shore and help for his family.

The story serves as a warning and read carefully; Hebrews is a very sobering book that warns and deeply challenges us. One example above is the author highlighting the danger of drifting away. It is one reason for this famous passage in Hebrews.

²⁴ And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, ²⁵ not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:24–25 (NKJV)

We need one another, we need to be checked and encouraged by one another, ‘lest we drift away.’

Thus, I think it is important that we have a way to assess whether or not we have drifted and need to come back to the heart of worship, our reason for being. As a way of making that assessment let’s go a little deeper into Redman’s song by looking at the initial verses.  

When the music fades
All is stripped away
And I simply come
Longing just to bring
Something that’s of worth
That will bless Your heart

I’ll bring You more than a song
For a song in itself
Is not what You have required
You search much deeper within
Through the way things appear
You’re looking into my heart, yeah

I’m coming back to the heart of worship
And it’s all about You, it’s all about You, Jesus
I’m sorry, Lord, for the thing I’ve made it
When it’s all about You, it’s all about You, Jesus

In essence Matt is saying that our words are an insufficient assessment tool. We can’t go by surface appearances. Instead, what we need to do is invite Jesus to examine our hearts and see if our focus is truly on Him. If it is our worship and lifestyle will be about Him. After all, true worship is scripturally defined most clearly in Romans 12.

¹ I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. ² And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Romans 12:1–2 (NKJV)

In the passage above the NKJV has ‘reasonable service.’ This is an accurate translation. Paul is saying that it simply makes sense in light of what he has previously written in Romans. Yet some translations, the ESV for example, have these two Greek words as ‘spiritual worship’ because the translators recognize that this level of surrender is at the heart of worship.

So, we can invite Jesus to assess our spiritual condition and whether our hearts have drifted, which I think we all do at times, I know I have more than once gone through the motions without my heart fully engaged and surrendered at that moment. The beautiful thing about walking with Him is that even though I can fail, each time I do I can run not away, but boldly to the throne of grace to ‘obtain mercy and find grace.’

Thus, if you see that you have drifted, simply seek His face and ask Jesus to help you reorient your heart to worship.