Worship is Life

is a liturgical entrance psalm.

Call to boring

Just as easy flopping

The problem is not the motions. We need the Biblical motions of worship… We need to know God’s Word and practice it. Not just the motions… v2 heart and mind; v6 hands; v7 proclaiming; v11 feet. Here we find worship for the whole person. Worship affects our whole life. Worship is our life: (1) It is a life of righteousness; (2) It is a life of separation; (3) It is life in Christ.

The problem is not the motions. We need the Biblical motions of worship, acceptable worship with reverence and awe, where the order of the day is decent and orderly. We need to know God’s Word and practice it. Not just the motions of worship, we also need the emotion of worship. Our head and heart must be in it. Worship takes the whole person. It’s what we find in this liturgical Psalm: v2 heart and mind; v6 hands; v7 proclaiming (mouth); v11 feet. Here we find worship for the whole person. Worship affects our whole life. Worship is our life: (1) It is a life of righteousness; (2) It is a life of separation; (3) It is life in Christ.

acceptable worship with reverence and awe, where the order of the day is decent and orderly. We need to know God’s Word and practice it. Not just the motions of worship, we also need the emotion of worship. Our head and heart must be in it. Worship takes the whole person. It’s what we find in this liturgical Psalm: v2 heart and mind; v6 hands; v7 proclaiming (mouth); v11 feet. Here we find worship for the whole person. Worship affects our whole life. Worship is our life: (1) It is a life of righteousness; (2) It is a life of separation; (3) It is life in Christ.

Worship is our life: (1) It is a life of righteousness .

Forensic Term (Divine Judge)

“Who will bring a charge”

Ruling: because we stand condemned and cannot enter

In David’s day, this truth played out in their liturgy… “Who shall ascend the mountain of the Lord?”

Fencing “Are you worthy to enter the house of the Lord?”

. He has “walked” in integrity without wavering.

Perfection?

David was not seeking justification based on his own perfection and merit. Peter says, “He who says he has no sin…”

Sinners walk

So David’s integrity here has to be at least repentance. Repentance is the continual turning… tempts. Its also the walk of faith .

David looked to God to justify. He found salvation not in himself or his abilities. He found salvation in the Lord.

Its also the walk of faith . David looked to God to justify. He found salvation not in himself or his abilities. He found salvation in the Lord. Its safe to say that David’s life wavered, but he is called “a man after God’s own heart.” How so, how was this sinner a man after God’s own heart? Its this walk of faith and repentance. Here we find the life of righteousness worship requires. What God requires in worship he gives us in worship. Worship is found in a God who gives, “For God so loved the World that he gave.” Worship is found wherever God forgives sinners. The principle behind this worship is gratitude. Worship therefore is not about our feelings but our thanksgiving. Worship turns us away from ourselves to God. This turning away affects not only our justification, we look to God to vindicate. We also look to God to sanctify. This worship, love for God will turn us away from sin by causing us to hate it because we love God more. We will then seek with our whole life to turn from sin and to turn to God’s law more and more.

Its safe to say that David’s life wavered, but he is called “a man after God’s own heart.” How so… ? Its this walk of faith and repentance. Here we find the life of righteousness worship requires.

Requires in Worship he gives in worship

Worship is found in a God who gives, “For God so loved the World that he gave.” Worship is found wherever God forgives sinners.

Gratitude Principle (feelings)

Worship turns us away from ourselves to God. This turning away affects not only our justification, we look to God to vindicate. We also look to God to sanctify. This worship, love for God will… hate… love…

. “Prove” is refiner speak. David asks the Lord to tests his “metal.” Was he pure enough to worship the Lord . The question is this, “is my faith true?” Here we see a heart after the Lord . Here we find the heart of worship.

Covenantal Word

God loves not because we deserve it, no he first loved… This the love of God’s faithfulness . David followed after God. After God is worship. We love the Lord, because… We stand righteous before… If we are faithful… Worship follows after God. We are sinners following after God. This means that we find our peace after grace. Worship is grace then peace.

So we put everything after God. Worship affects our whole life. Worship is our life: (1) It is a life of righteousness; (2) It is a life of separation . “Men of falsehood” emphasizes vanity. These are “hypocrites” who conceal their real thoughts and motives . This is a reference to those who played religion for filthy lucre. David avoided this Den of Robbers .

“Sitting” Worship

David not only denied fellowship with this evil congregation—he hated it.

Worship separates us from this evil world .

OT Worship: The washing of hands was liturgical.

Enter the temple to walk “your altar, O Lord.”

Sacrifice and Fellowship

At this table Israel would hear about God’s divine acts in history . At the altar David, a prophet of the Lord would recount all God’s “wonderous deeds.”

At this table Israel would hear about God’s divine acts in history . At the altar David, a prophet of the Lord would recount all God’s “wonderous deeds.” Worship is the retelling of God’s Story. In worship we gather to hear Good News. The tragedy of contemporary worship is “My Story.” Today the church gathers to hear “My Story,” where everything’s measured by happiness rather than holiness. Church’s across the land are gathering this morning to celebrate their own transformation and to receive fresh marching orders for transforming themselves more and the world around them.

Retelling of God’s Story

Worship after God, however separates us from the world to hear God’s story, which is a glory story . This is a prayer of thanksgiving. David contrasts true worship over the presence of evil man . This is a prayer of salvation. David loves the house of the Lord because God’s glory dwells there. Its the glory of deliverance from evil. Its the glory of the destruction of evil. Its the glory of holiness.

Worship after God, however separates us from the world to hear God’s story, which is a glory story . This is a prayer of thanksgiving. David contrasts true worship over the presence of evil man . This is a prayer of salvation. David loves the house of the Lord because God’s glory dwells there. Its the glory of deliverance from evil. Its the glory of the destruction of evil. Its the glory of holiness. Here lies the necessity of separation— it is pure suicide to stand before God in sin. The phrase “sweep away my soul away with sinners” is a metaphor for death. Its hell without the righteousness of God.

Here lies the necessity of separation— it is pure suicide to stand before God in sin.

“sweep away my soul away with sinners” is a metaphor for death.

Its hell without the righteousness of God.

. Here again he confirms what he has already said, that he has separated himself from hypocrites. The evil devices of bribes is the church turned den of thieves. David affirms here that all those who run after worship for the celebration of their own achievements and glory will be finally swept away.

Eschatological sweeping to be swept away into eternal destruction.

Here lies the necessity of belonging to a true church.

Life without the church is hell.

Worship affects our whole life. Worship is our life: (1) It is a life of righteousness; (2) It is a life of separation; (3) It is life in Christ. . Do we need perfection to worship God? Access to God presupposes this qualification— integrity. We however are sinners. Here we find the final qualification for admission into God’s presence— mercy . We need salvation. We need grace. We need Christ .

What is this level ground?

Floor “in the great assembly.”

Metaphor for justification to be right with God?

Grace of God?

Yes, its the place where God’s people worship. The place is in Christ, where it is no longer I who live but Christ in me. Jesus Christ is our level ground before God.

The call to worship, “Who shall ascend the mountain of the Lord?” presupposes the finished work of Christ. He alone has clean hands and a pure heart. This is God’s Story. Christ was justified by his own integrity. He never wavered before the Father. Though he was accused of falsehood by the den of robbers he never fell to their hypocrisy. No, his was a life of separation, wherein righteous zeal… He gave his whole life for his soul was swept away with the wicked.

integrity is related to the word for the sacrifice brought to God “without blemish” ().

Christ offered himself without blemish to God as our sacrifice and through his blood we have justification. He who knew no sin… Here is our worship, after Christ. After Christ we find repentance turning away from ourselves by turning in faith to Christ. After Christ is key, who was vindicated on the third day and raised to new life. We have new life this day for we have the life of Christ.

We are the redeemed, who stand forever right with God.

So we stand together in this assembly to bless the Lord to worship after God. So let us put nothing before him for worship is our life.