The Heart Of Worship
Notes
Transcript
So far we’ve seen what the biblical framework of worship is (What is Worship)
What our Attitude should be(Worship Attitude)
How Careful we should be in worship(Vigilant worship)
And How God desires to be worshiped (Pure worship)
But Do you know WHY You Worship God?
In this passage there are 3 reasons why worship is your mandatory response to God.
1. God’s Love
1. God’s Love
God’s love for his people is discussed in v 1-5
His love is characterized by His great affection/ His care/ His loyalty(faithfulness) towards His people
“For you are a holy people to Yahweh your God; Yahweh your God has chosen you to be a people for His own treasured possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. “Yahweh did not set His affection on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but because Yahweh loved you and kept the oath which He swore to your fathers, Yahweh brought you out with a strong hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
The lovingkindnesses of Yahweh indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.
But God, being rich in mercy because of His great love with which He loved us,
God has a unique affection to His people that is displayed in His care and faithfulness to His covenant people that He doesn’t show to those that are not His covenant people (Esau/Edom/the wicked/unrepentant unbelievers) v.3-4
As a direct object of His love God’s covenant people must respond by magnifying (expressing His greatness/importance/magnificence) His name v.5
The reason you worship God is that your eyes have seen this love which He bestows on you
2. God’s Position
2. God’s Position
God is both a Father and a Master to His people
His people in relation to that are both His Children and slaves
“You are the sons of Yahweh your God; you shall not gash yourselves nor shave your forehead for the sake of the dead. “For you are a holy people to Yahweh your God, and Yahweh has chosen you to be a people for His treasured possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.
But now, O Yahweh, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And all of us are the work of Your hand.
Jesus said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brothers and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’”
The earth is Yahweh’s, as well as its fullness, The world, and those who dwell in it.
“Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine. The soul who sins will die.
Or do you not know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you were bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.
As a father requires honor from his children and as a master requires obedient respect from his slaves
God based on His position/ his relationship with His people requires Honor (Glory/ significance/weightiness) and fearful respect v.6
Notice here the response of honor and fear is a result of who the father/master is and what he initiates and provides
So you are to worship God because of you relationship to Him/ what position He holds in your life
He is your father (who has adopted you into His family) and your owner (Who gives you life and sustains you)
3. God’s Name
3. God’s Name
God is concerned about His name (His character/ reputation/existence/presence/HIs self disclosure)
God’s name is the fulness of who He is and How He acts
He does everything for His name sake
And He said, “I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of Yahweh before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will show compassion on whom I will show compassion.”
Then Yahweh descended in the cloud and stood there with him, and He called upon the name of Yahweh.
He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.
“For My own sake, for My own sake, I will act; For how can My name be profaned? And My glory I will not give to another.
7 times He talks about His name in this passage (v6, 11, 12, 14)
3 times He says His name will be great and is feared (v. 11&14)
Just by His presence/His self revelation/ by the virtue of who He is/ His character
He is to have more value/importance/ significance that is greater than anything or any one
His name IS(Not should be/Not He wants it to be) It IS (Has the inherent quality that causes FEAR in all categories
Terror(emotional)
realization of sin
Reverence and awe
righteous behavior
And Worship
The reality on the ground is far from worshiping God for these reasons
The heart of His people’s worship is mark by contempt
The despise/ disdain His Name (v. 6b,7,12,13)
The implication is that they do to God something they wouldn’t even do to earthly magistrate (authority figure/ governors) v.8
I believe it’s because they haven’t considered the reasons why they should worship Him
If we’re honest we do undervalue God’s love for us/ His relationship (position) in our lives/ and His presence(Who He is/ His Name)
As a result we fail to worship God from the heart of worship
We may know what to do and how to do it
But if YOU want to worship God from the heart of worship consider your reason for worship which should be
His Love for you-LOVE
His Position in your life- HONOR
His Identity and Presence- FEAR