Worship From the Heart
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8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.
9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;
12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.
13 And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.
14 And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.
Introduction
Introduction
What is worship?
What is worship?
Lexham Theological Wordbook Worship
Worship is the awed response to the saving acts and praiseworthy character of God
Lexham Theological Wordbook (Concept Summary)
In the OT, worship encompassed a variety of activities. Bringing forward an offering to God was an act of worship (קָרַב, qārab). Bowing down in the presence of God was an outward display of an inner attitude of reverence before the Creator (חָוָה, ḥāwâ).
The verb רוּם (rûm) could indicate that a person was “lifting up” or “exalting” God with praise. Together, these last two terms provide a rich image of worship: People both bow before God and lift him up in praise and wonder. The verb הָלַל (hālal) could be used to designate the act of celebrating God.
The word “hallelujah” is derived from the Hebrew phrase הַלְלוּ־יָהּ (halĕlû-yāh), meaning “praise Yahweh.” This praise could involve זָמַר (zāmar, “singing”).
Worship could also be described as “serving” (עָבַד, ʿābad) God. The ritual life of devotion was emblematic of a whole life given over to God.
The NT carries over many of the actions described as worship in the OT. The verb προσκυνέω (proskyneō) means to bow down as an act of worship, while κάμπτω (kamptō) signifies bending the knee or bowing in reverence to God.
Other words for praising God include δοξάζω (doxazō), for the act of giving God glory, and εὐλογέω (eulogeō), for praising or blessing God.
Every part of the service should be worship.
Now I want to read, this morning, some of the Bible. And I like the Word, don’t you? Now we’ve worshipped the Lord, and we’ll continue to worship Him.
Now let’s worship Him as a cutting sharp-edged Sword, as It moves through us, to find out where we’re standing. 65-1031M - "Power Of Transformation"
Even the offering is a part of worship.
(Bro. Branham tried to do away with the offering and the Lord didn’t bless it.)
So an offering is part of worship. That’s right. I know more that than ever since the other day when I was going to give Hattie Wright back that twenty dollars that she’d pledged towards the new Tabernacle in Jeffersonville;
the Lord said, “Just let her alone.” And a few minutes later I see why He said let her alone. 59-1126 - "Jehovah Of Miracles"
Praise is a part of worship:
1 Praise ye the Lord. Sing unto the Lord a new song, And his praise in the congregation of saints.
2 Let Israel rejoice in him that made him: Let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.
3 Let them praise his name in the dance: Let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp.
4 For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people: He will beautify the meek with salvation.
Awe, reverence, weeping, lifting up of hands, crying, shouting, dancing and singing, all of these are Biblical forms of worship.
We didn’t make that up.
7 When the morning stars sang together, And all the sons of God shouted for joy?
Bro. Branham calls it a “new case of old time salvation”.
Listen how Bro. Branham defines worship:
I like to worship. Don’t you? Now, we don’t come to church just to hear a sermon; that goes with it. But we come to church to worship, worship in the Spirit and in Truth.
You’ve heard the Truth, that’s the Word. See? Now, to worship, is to express yourself to Him. See? 61-0730M - "Gabriel's Instructions To Daniel"
Our worship must come from the heart.
In the Old Testament they were commanded to worship, but our worship comes from the heart.
Sincerity in worship:
Singing from the heart.
1 I will praise thee with my whole heart: Before the gods will I sing praise unto thee.
19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
Where, what’s went with the sincerity, where is those old-fashion hymns we used to sing, and rejoice in the Spirit of God, and tears roll down our cheeks?
And now we try to hold our breath until we ain’t got enough breath in us, till our face turns blue, to try to show that we are some sort of a singer. See, we’ve copied that off of Hollywood, and all these programs that we see through this intellectual hymn sing and training of voice.
I like to hear good singing; I like to hear good old-fashion, heartfelt, pentecostal singing. But I sure hate to hear that squeaking they call singing, today. That’s right. I think that’s the most ridiculous thing. It’s a perversion. 65-0919 - "Thirst"
New or old, a song has to be heartfelt to be worship. The songs that were new then are old now.
“Only Believe” was new when Bro. Branham heard it. So was “Down From His Glory” and “Wings of a Dove”.
The tune to “I Love Him” came from a Stephen Foster song, who wrote “My Old Kentucky Home”. “Only Believe” was a jazz tune. “Down From His Glory” was an Italian love song.
Sometimes its how you sing it.
Oh, don’t that scour you out? Don’t you love those old songs? I’d rather have them than all you can…or any of these other kind of songs you can have. Them’s good, old heartfelt songs. Oh, my! I feel so good and happy when I sing them, just good! My, just feel like rejoicing! 63-0724 - "God Doesn't Call Man To Judgment Without First Warning Him"
If there’s anything I don’t like, is an over-trained voice, that will stand up and sing like they got the colic, that “whee,” hold their breath till they’re black in the face. They’re not singing. They’re just making a noise.
But what I like is a good, old-fashion, heartfelt, pentecostal, born-again person, singing from their heart. If they can’t carry a tune in a bucket, they still got the Spirit there. You can feel It tearing through you.
Hallelujah! I like that. I love that after effects, the Holy Spirit blessing it, you know. I love that. That’s just real, to me. Yeah. 61-1224 - "Sirs, We Would See Jesus"
Anything I do not like, is an overtrained voice, holding their voice until their face is blue, they’re not singing, they’re just hollering. But I do love good, old fashion, heartfelt singing, where you might not be able to carry a tune in a bucket, but yet, you’re singing from your heart.
Now, you say, “Well, I’m not a singer.” That doesn’t matter. Make a joyful noise, then, unto the Lord. The Scripture says so. 61-0516A - "Jesus Christ The Same Yesterday, Today, And Forever"
Shouting from the heart.
28 Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with shouting, and with sound of the cornet, and with trumpets, and with cymbals, making a noise with psalteries and harps.
That was when David brought the ark back correctly, and Michal despised him in her heart.
11 And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the Lord; because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.
11 Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous: And shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.
That’s what’s the matter with the church today, they say, “Oh, I don’t believe in that there kind of religion makes you shout, and call it ‘heartfelt religion,’ and, I don’t believe in such things as that.”
No wonder, you’ve never come into it yet. You come into it and really get under the Shekinah Glory of God, when the power of the Holy Ghost is falling down upon you, you’ll know something happened to you, that you’ve passed from death unto Life, and become a new creature. God is first. 60-0630 - "God's Provided Approach To Divine Fellowship"
You say “Its not my nature to shout. Okay. Lets see what Bro. Branham said about that.
Hallelujah! Sure, Baptists shout. Yes, sir. Anybody that’s got good religion shouts. Got something to shout about.
(Black man who lived down the lane “You believe in that shoutin’ religion, don’t you Billy?” And I said, “Yes, sir.”)
And he said, “Well, I tell you.” He said, “You take an old rooster, you can tie his feet, nail him down into the box, and any way you want to. But,” said, “when it starts to get daylight, he will turn over and crow.” I said, “That’s right.” He said, “What makes him do that, Billy?”
I said, “He’s a rooster and it’s breakin’ day.” That’s right. It’s his nature. And when a man is born of the Spirit of God and has this Eternal Life in him, when the Holy Ghost comes, you’ve got to scream out. Something has to happen.
Do believe the good, old-time, heartfelt salvation brings tears of joy and happiness, and peace that passes all understanding. For He’s the River, and He’s the…Oh, He’s my Everything.
I just can’t praise Him enough and say enough about Him of what He means to me. Certainly, no wonder we…It’s a nature in you. When you’re born of the Spirit of God, you got a nature in you to make you scream out.
40 And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.
Something had to take place. Hallelujah! When we see Him coming down out of Heaven, riding on that white charger, you talk about some noise. Oh, there’s going to be something happen then when we see all these things that we’ve talked about brought into reality. 60-0606 - "To Whom Would We Go?"
People do not worship because they don’t recognize His presence.
In the old times your whole life depended on the generosity of a king. His word was law. There was such a sense of awe and majesty that when a person saw their king, they fell down and prostrated themselves on the ground in awe at their presence.
Pagans would do this before their imaginary gods.
Now, see, pagan worship is to prostrate yourself before the idol, the imaginary god, and believe that the imaginary god is talking to you.
Christianity is vice versa, God takes a living man that prostrates himself before Him, and speaks His Own Words through the living man, not through an idol. 62-0725 - "A Greater Than Solomon Is Here"
Our Heavenly Father, in the sacredness of this service, knowing that the God that we worship is not an idol, as the heathens would take the idol and fall prostrate before it, and of an imaginary god, and believe that an imaginary voice come to them, that he hypnotized hisself into an idol.
What a strange thing it is for the devil to do a thing like that, when truly, God is a Spirit, that He does not come into an idol, but He comes into living human beings and speaks His own Words through the man.
And we are His living images, created in His image, and for His work, and for His glory. 62-1125M - "Convinced And Then Concerned"
Who should worship?
Who should worship?
There is fine people in the world, fine churches; but there’s one Mrs. Jesus Christ, and that’s who He’s coming for. That’s where His Name lays. There is where His worship is, in Her and Her alone. 65-0220 - "God's Chosen Place Of Worship"
We have a different take on worship than any other group of people on the earth, because of a Prophet and what he taught.
He came to turn our hearts, so our worship would be right again.
23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
I just love to feel this way. I love to worship God in quietness like this. Something that’s got some real meaning to it. Just to feel that Something is near!
What happened? At the altar call, when those sinners accepted Christ, the Angels raised up from their seats. See, that’s what makes you feel this a-way.
This is worship, when the soul is worshipping God. The Word has gone forth, see. The Holy Spirit is blessing and watering now.
There was always altar calls, benedictions and closing songs, but Bro. Branham taught our main time of worship ought to be after the preacher is finished preaching. that is unique to the Message.
Listen to how he did it:
Our Heavenly Father, as the beautiful, sacred Presence of the Holy Spirit now standing here blessing His children, many times He’s had to correct them, “For every son that cometh to God, must first be chastened and tried, receive child-training, reproofs,” not no exceptions; every one.
But when we endure the correction of our Father, then it yieldeth forth the present and pleasant fruit.
I pray, God, that You’ll just let each child know that. Not go away, just kind of imagine, but let them know that this is Your blessings to them.
The sincere milk of the Gospel, pouring down in their soul, milk and honey out of Canaan’s Land, new wine to stimulate them in faith; worshipping, hearts bowed before Thee, hands up, tears running down cheeks, quietly, reverently worshipping.
O God, I’m so happy! I just love You so, Lord! I want to express to You my feeling, if I can, just in thanksgiving, expressing the very adoration of my heart, that I adore Thee, Thou matchless One. I love Thee. 56-0617 - "Revelation, Book Of Symbols"
Just the Holy Spirit just cleaning your heart from all unbelief, putting you right back in track with God again. Oh, now is the time to worship Him. The message is over, so let’s just worship Him once again in this song, as we sing I Love Him.
Bro. Branham taught us to think about what has been preached while we worship.
Everyone, just quietly and sweetly now. Close your eyes and just look with your spiritual eyes towards Him, see what He done for that widow. You are as dear to Him as that widow, He’s preserved your life, too. Don’t you love Him? 60-0310 - "Elijah And The Meal-Offering"
Worship is obedience. When we worship after the Word has been preached we are surrendering ourselves to that Word.
Now, when the Father finds a child that’s obedient. How he likes to come and say, “Sir, your boy is a perfect child, how obedient your children are, how they love to worship You.
They gather together, and they raise their hands, and the tears runs down their cheeks. They’re just so full of joy.” How the Holy Spirit must love to do that, for God is an object of worship, and God wants to be worshipped in Spirit and in truth. Jesus said so.
But we get so starchy we just can’t make a grunt. We couldn’t say, “Amen.” We just set there. See? How the Holy Spirit must dread to say that to the Father. But when we are obedient, and love Him, and praise Him, and give Him glory, how the Holy Spirit must love to bring this to Him.
You know He’d say? “Father, you know, Your son’s just like You. Oh, it’s just perfect.” And if we’d say it here in our street expression “just a chip off of the block.” “Why, He loves You; he’s obedient.” 57-0807 - "Hear Ye Him"
Don’t you just love to worship? The messages sometime are so cutting with the Word. But then, you know, after we’ve all been corrected and stand guiltless in the presence of the Father, resting upon the grace of the Lord Jesus, I just love to raise my hands and worship Him.
Don’t you like to do that? How many believes in that, raise up your hands? Oh, my, just worship Him in song.
It’s time for the prayer line now. Now the great anticipation sets in. I trust that you’ll believe. Brother Vayle has laid the foundation, perhaps ’fore I got here, telling you what to look for: Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Think of the One that we worship. Now, we see that He’s here. He’s forgave our sins. He’s sweet and kind to us. Now, let Him appear in you and in me, and work His works as He promised to. 58-0330E - "Christ Knocking At The Door"
He’s real. Who made the flowers? Who put the colors in them? The same Man that put the color in the flower put the Holy Ghost in my heart. Glory to God. He’s here, yes, sir. Don’t be alarmed at Him, because He’s here.
God means worship. God is an object of worship. And I love to worship Him. He’s my All in all. He’s my Peace. He’s my Father, my Mother, He’s All that I ever had, All I ever will be; everything lays within Him. Oh, my, let’s just raise our hands and praise Him.
O Lord, I just don’t know what to say, Lord. The Spirit of Your Presence is just packing my soul from place to place. Oh, let it break forth tonight, Lord, that what I’ve asked for. Grant it, O Lord. O Father God, send forth Your blessings upon Your people.
Anoint the people; send the Holy Ghost in great power and great measures of grace and love. Grant it, Lord. Hear our prayers. We praise You; we love You; we raise our hands to You; we lift our hearts to You.
You are our life, our soul, our being, our food, our water. You’re our life, our sight, all that we are. We live and breathe by You, Lord.
Oh, take us, Lord, mold us, fashion us, take us away from the world. O God, put Your Spirit in us. You said, “You are a peculiar people, a royal priesthood, a spiritual priesthood offering spiritual gifts, the fruits of our lips, giving praise to God.”
That’s what we’re doing right now, Lord, giving praise to our God, making a sacrifice, throwing up our lips, our praise, and saying, “We love You, Lord; we don’t care what anyone says.
We love You. You’re our God; You’re our Saviour; our Healer; You’re our King, You’re our salvation; You’re our life; You’re all that we are Lord. You are that to us, and we thank You for it.”
Bless us, Lord. We wait on You, wait for You to guide us. Send us anywhere; do anything with us You want to. Take us in Your hand; You’re the potter; we’re the clay. Mold us and make us after Your Own way, Lord. Make us images of God. Grant it, Lord. 59-1126 - "Jehovah Of Miracles"
I love that, don’t you? Isn’t there something about it? Now, those Messages are hard, and strict, and cutting. That’s what the Word of God is, sharper than a two-edged sword.
But when it’s all over, see, the great Holy Spirit setting here in the building, somewhere, watching over. Angels! Oh! Then, after it’s all over, see Him spread forth His arm, and the blessings begin to fall.
We raise our arms to Him, and worship Him in the sweetness of the Holy Spirit. Doesn’t it do something to you? Just cleans you out, gives you a new start, brings you back to the Word. 60-1113 - "Condemnation By Representation"
You say, “I don’t feel anything, when I feel it I’ll worship”. Don’t you know He is here?
20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
But this is my ministry, see, to declare Him, that He is here. 62-0713 - "From That Time"
Just start thinking about Him and worship Him in your heart, and all of a sudden you’ll feel the close fellowship of the Holy Spirit all around you.
And it gets so anointed till you can’t hold it any longer. You’ll raise up your hands, or do something. You just can’t stand still when It comes. 59-1126 - "Jehovah Of Miracles"
We worship after the Word has been opened. John describes the time after the opening of the Book as a time of worship.
Listen what a worship this was! The elders, the beasts, everything fell right before Him, see, like that, when He made His complete plan. It’s time of worship now, see: 61-0618 - "Revelation, Chapter Five Part II"
The 8th to the 1st…14th verse of the 5th chapter, reveals the time for the Lamb to be worshipped, both in Heaven and in earth; the seven-seal Book, the worthy Lamb, the Kinsman Redeemer.
And from the 8th verse, to the 14th, Angels worship Him, elders worship Him, living Creatures worship Him. And John worshipped Him so much till he said, “Every creature in Heaven, in the earth, underneath the earth, heard me saying, ‘Blessings, glory, power, wisdom, might be to the Lamb.’”
The worship time for the King Lamb. Now, the Church is gone, remember. 61-0730M - "Gabriel's Instructions To Daniel"
When is the time for worship? After the church is gone and the Bride recognizes the Opening of the Word.
This was a great time of worship in heaven. What about now?
Worship is in order in the house of God.
Course, somebody worshipping the Lord, that’s expected. That’s what it should be. That’s what you’re here for, is to worship the Lord.
Just if you feel like praising God, or shouting, just go right on, see, ’cause that’s what you’re here for, see, but, is to worship the Lord in your own way of worshipping. 63-0317M - "God Hiding Himself In Simplicity, Then Revealing Himself In The Same"
This is a temporary place of worship.
But this little tabernacle, along with the temple that Solomon built Him, and along with the others, are only temporary places of worship until the time comes when the real Tabernacle will be set up upon the earth.
(Won’t it be a time)
But let us purpose in our heart, today, that in commemoration and waiting for that Tabernacle to come, that we will so characterize ourself by His Spirit, that we will worship in this place as if we were in that other Place, waiting for that Place to come. 63-0317M - "God Hiding Himself In Simplicity, Then Revealing Himself In The Same"
Conclusion
Conclusion
What did they sing when they worshipped after the Book was opened? Thou Art Worthy
In other words: “You deserve it”.
Is he less worthy today than He was in John’s day? Is He less deserving of praise than He was in 1963?
He is here. He is worthy. Let me worship Him from my heart, with all my heart.