What You’ll Learn:
- How worship transforms worshipers into the image of God through sustained gazing
- The difference between salvation’s glimpse and sanctification’s gaze
- Why what we behold determines who we become
- How to bridge the false divide between intimacy with God and mission in the world
- The inseparable connection between worship and intercession
- Fresh perspective on the Mary and Martha story that challenges traditional interpretations
What if the entire journey of Christian transformation could be summed up in a single word: gaze? Not a quick glance, not a casual acknowledgment, but a sustained, intentional fixing of our eyes on the face of God. That’s the thread running through these three powerful quotes about worship, and it changes everything.
Manley Beasley’s insight cuts straight to the heart: a glimpse saves, but a gaze sanctifies. Think about the Exodus story. Israel experienced a dramatic rescue from Egypt, but the real work happened in the wilderness as they learned to literally look up at the cloud and pillar of fire. Their salvation was instant; their sanctification required wandering and watching. The same pattern holds true today. Worship leader, you’ve experienced that initial glimpse, but are you cultivating the sustained gaze that transforms from the inside out?
Here’s where it gets fascinating. Jack Hayford’s quote reveals the universal principle: we become what we behold. Fix your eyes on money, and you’ll adopt its patterns of fear and control. Gaze at God, and you’ll absorb His character of generosity and trust. It’s not willpower, rather sustained attention.
But here’s the tension most churches struggle with: the false choice between intimacy and mission, between Mary and Martha. These quotes demolish that divide. True worship doesn’t trap us in a prayer closet; it propels us outward in intercession and service. The writer even suggests Martha’s real issue wasn’t busyness but her inability to maintain her gaze on Jesus while working.
Bottom line? Your worship should create a rhythm: turning to God, turning toward the world, returning to God. Both. Always.
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