How to Worship
There's a lot said about worship in the Christian church. What is it? What does it look like? What's the difference between true and false worship? What kind of music is most worshipful?
But have we gone to God's Word?
Psalm 95 is about HOW the people of God are to worship God according to God.
Psalm 95:1–5 (ESV) Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! 2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! 3 For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. 4 In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. 5 The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.
First we see that worship is not about us. Its not about how it makes us feel, what it does for our senses, or where we are at when we are called to do it. Let us sing joyfully because of WHO HE IS not what we feel. We are joyful because the King is our King! He has made Himself known to us.
Psalm 95:6–7a (ESV) Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! 7 For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.
Secondly we bow down, we kneel, it's the universal sign of honor and respect. In other words, we don't "just stand there"remaining still and motionless. Our God is just that great - reverence is called for. We express worship with our whole body, not simply our heads, eyes and hands.
Notice the final section
Psalm 95:7b–11 (ESV) Today, if you hear his voice, 8 do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness, 9 when your fathers put me to the test and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work. 10 For forty years I loathed that generation and said, “They are a people who go astray in their heart, and they have not known my ways.” 11 Therefore I swore in my wrath, “They shall not enter my rest.”
Worship is meant to open our hearts. Worship is meant to soften our hearts. When we open our mouths, our hearts are opened. Think of it, when you are mad at someone you often refuse to speak to them. Why? Because you want to express the hardness of your heart.
It has been said the speech part of our brains are the most dominant part of our brains. What we do with our mouth has a profound affect on everything else about us. James confirms this telling us one's whole life can be set on fire by the tongue (James 3:6). Worship is meant to open our hearts.
The people in the wilderness tested God by complaining about their conditions. They never were satisfied or glad in God. Such a heart is closed to Him and experiences His wrath. Worship is joyful expression where we are... not to "get something" from Him. Be joyful in God today, no matter what happens, that is worship at its best!
So then...
Worship is not about us.
Worship is respect and honor toward God.
Worship is meant to open us up to God and His will.
Worship is about right now, where we are, enjoy our God.
That is how God wants us to worship.
But have we gone to God's Word?
Psalm 95 is about HOW the people of God are to worship God according to God.
Psalm 95:1–5 (ESV) Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! 2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! 3 For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. 4 In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. 5 The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.
First we see that worship is not about us. Its not about how it makes us feel, what it does for our senses, or where we are at when we are called to do it. Let us sing joyfully because of WHO HE IS not what we feel. We are joyful because the King is our King! He has made Himself known to us.
Psalm 95:6–7a (ESV) Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! 7 For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.
Secondly we bow down, we kneel, it's the universal sign of honor and respect. In other words, we don't "just stand there"remaining still and motionless. Our God is just that great - reverence is called for. We express worship with our whole body, not simply our heads, eyes and hands.
Notice the final section
Psalm 95:7b–11 (ESV) Today, if you hear his voice, 8 do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness, 9 when your fathers put me to the test and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work. 10 For forty years I loathed that generation and said, “They are a people who go astray in their heart, and they have not known my ways.” 11 Therefore I swore in my wrath, “They shall not enter my rest.”
Worship is meant to open our hearts. Worship is meant to soften our hearts. When we open our mouths, our hearts are opened. Think of it, when you are mad at someone you often refuse to speak to them. Why? Because you want to express the hardness of your heart.
It has been said the speech part of our brains are the most dominant part of our brains. What we do with our mouth has a profound affect on everything else about us. James confirms this telling us one's whole life can be set on fire by the tongue (James 3:6). Worship is meant to open our hearts.
The people in the wilderness tested God by complaining about their conditions. They never were satisfied or glad in God. Such a heart is closed to Him and experiences His wrath. Worship is joyful expression where we are... not to "get something" from Him. Be joyful in God today, no matter what happens, that is worship at its best!
So then...
Worship is not about us.
Worship is respect and honor toward God.
Worship is meant to open us up to God and His will.
Worship is about right now, where we are, enjoy our God.
That is how God wants us to worship.
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