WRSP 101 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY Worship_Study_Devotional_Brokeness_in_Worship_2024.pdf

Worship Study Devotional Assignment: Brokenness in Worship

Jan L. Lugo Manon

WRSP 101: Introduction to Worship Studies

December 11th, 2023

Topic: Spiritual Disciplines Brokenness in worship

Scripture:This is what the'LORD'says: “Go and buy a clay jar from a potter.'Take along some of

the elders'of the people and of the priests'2and go out to the Valley of Ben Hinnom,'near the

entrance of the Potsherd Gate. There proclaim the words I tell you,'3and say, ‘Hear the word of

the'LORD, you kings'of Judah and people of Jerusalem. This is what the'LORD'Almighty, the God

of Israel, says: Listen! I am going to bring a disaster'on this place that will make the ears of

everyone who hears of it tingle.'4For they have forsaken'me and made this a place of foreign

gods; they have burned incense'in it to gods that neither they nor their ancestors nor the kings of

Judah ever knew, and they have filled this place with the blood of the innocent.'5They have built

the high places of Baal to burn their children'in the fire as offerings to Baal—something I did not

command or mention, nor did it enter my mind.'6So beware, the days are coming, declares

the'LORD, when people will no longer call this place Topheth'or the Valley of Ben Hinnom,'but

the Valley of Slaughter.7“In this place I will ruin[a]'the plans'of Judah and Jerusalem. I will make

them fall by the sword before their enemies,'at the hands of those who want to kill them, and I

will give their carcasses'as food'to the birds and the wild animals.'8I will devastate this city and

make it an object of horror and scorn;'all who pass by will be appalled'and will scoff because of

all its wounds.'9I will make them eat'the flesh of their sons and daughters, and they will eat one

another’s flesh because their enemies'will press the siege so hard against them to destroy them.’’

10“Then break the jar'while those who go with you are watching,'11and say to them, ‘This is what

the'LORD'Almighty says: I will smash'this nation and this city just as this potter’s jar is smashed

and cannot be repaired. They will bury'the dead in Topheth until there is no more room.'12This is

what I will do to this place and to those who live here, declares the'LORD. I will make this city

like Topheth.'13The houses'in Jerusalem and those of the kings of Judah will be defiled'like this

place, Topheth—all the houses where they burned incense on the roofs'to all the starry hosts'and

poured out drink offerings'to other gods.” 14Jeremiah then returned from Topheth, where

the'LORD'had sent him to prophesy, and stood in the court'of the'LORD’s temple and said to all

the people,'15“This is what the'LORD'Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘Listen! I am going to

bring on this city and all the villages around it every disaster'I pronounced against them, because

they were stiff-necked'and would not listen'to my words.’’(Jeremiah 19 -NIV- Bible gateway

passage)

Narrative:

Worship is the most essential thing in the life of a Christian, and as worshipers, it is vital to break

ourselves so that God can manifest through us, restoring our hearts. This devotional is a call from God

that we must have a heart clean of all sin and a good testimony. We are imperfect, but God calls us to

perfection, to walk pure and without iniquity, just as He did. God's love is so wonderful that it allows us

to be in this place. He listens to our hearts, cleanses us, and forgets our sins. Micah says:

19 You will have compassion on us again; you will trample our sin and cast all our iniquities into the

depths of the sea. (Micah 7:19 - NIV - bible gateway).

Teaching Point:

Jeremiah 19 talks about how God tells Jeremiah to go and buy a clay pot from the potter (Jeremiah 19:1a

NIV - - bible gateway) and then break it in the valley of the son of Himmon, symbolizing the brokenness

of the people because of sin and idolatry of other gods. (Jeremiah 19:10-11 NIV – – Bible Portal). In this

chapter, this breaking of the clay vessels can be interpreted as a spiritual breaking. As worshipers,

breaking with hidden sin (idolatry of studies, women/men, pornography, fornication, adultery, gossip,

envy) in short, everything we put first before God will be glorified through restoration. Jeremiah 30:12-22

talks about how God will restore our broken vessels through restoration. When God breaks us spiritually,

we come to the altar with a contrite and humbled heart, with tears of repentance. When this happens, God

fills us with his spirit and takes us to another spiritual level, where he glorifies, lifting the brokenhearted.

Brokenness is the prelude to restoration. We must do this in worship, breaking ourselves spiritually so

that the almighty may manifest himself through our praises. As worshipers, it is essential to have a heart

prepared to minister at the altar because if we do not break with what binds us (sin, iniquity, fornication,

idolatry), we will minister to our congregations. We will no longer be an instrument of blessing but of

perdition, and the Bible talks about this. 11 Can fresh and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My

brothers, can a fig tree produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can a salty spring produce fresh water

(James 3:11-13 -NIV - bible gateway).

Application:

-If it weren't for the love and grace of God, where would you be right now?

-Are you ready to kneel before the almighty and receive you just as you are?

-Are you ready to ask the God who can do everything to make you equal to him, holy and pure

of heart?

Response Song: Calvin Nowell - "If Not for Grace" | "Just As I Am" | "More Like You" Worship

Medley

Where would I be You only know

I'm Glad You see through eyes of love.